Known by different names in different languages, this bird has a sound so chirpy that it can put a smile to your face. The house sparrow ( Passer domesticus ) belongs to the sparrow family. It is found in most of the countries in Europe, the Mediterranean and Asia. This widely distributed wild bird has also been “accidentally” or “intentionally” introduced in many parts of Australiasia, Africa and the Americas.
Bearing the brunt
March 20 was declared as World Sparrow Day to spread the awareness that our feathered friends are fast disappearing because of the adverse effects of urbanisation. Celebrating this special day is an international initiative by Nature Forever Society along with Bombay National History Society, The Cornell Lab of Ornithology (the U.S.), the Eco-Sys Action Foundation (France) and Avon Wildlife Trust (the U.K.) and various other national and international organisations across the world.
“Bird Man” Theodore Bhaskaran says that the house sparrow “is one species that closely follows man, much like the crow. They are our co-tenants.”
It is a rare sight now to see the house sparrow in cities and in towns. The fast paced development, high rise buildings and apartments with their smooth and glossy walls are just one of the causes for their disappearance. Old houses had eaves, wirings and holders, which were perfect places for birds to build their nests and roost.
Earlier, provision shops stocked rice and grain in gunny bags that were placed outside the shops. House sparrows would feed themselves from that. But now, these shops have given way to supermarkets. The use of highly toxic pesticides is another reason for the decline of the birds. Unleaded petrol is one example, as its combustion produces methyl nitrate that kills small insects and worms that form a part of a chick’s diet. Home gardens too have largely decreased in number.
But all is not lost. Because of the growing awareness people are more concerned.
In villages and rural areas house sparrows still thrive. Trekkers walking in Kodaikanal have commented that these little sparrows fly close as they are not shy of humans.
Save the Sparrow
- Scatter grain on your verandah or terrace.
- Keep a feed box made from a shoe box.
- Keep clean water in a flat shallow pan.
- Hang boxes with straw for them to roost in.
- Use organic repellents instead of chemical ones.
- Lead an environmentally healthy life.
Did you know?
Sparrows have different names in different languages:
Gauraiya - Hindi
Chittukuruvi - Tamil
Kuruvii - Malayalam
Pichuka - Telugu
Gubbachi - Kannada
Chakli - Gujarati
Chimani - Marathi
Chiri - Punjabi
Chaer - Kashmiri
Charai - Bengali
Gharachatia - Odiya
Jhirki - Sindhi
Chirya - Urdu
