Where have all the sparrows gone?

(World House Sparrow Day Feature published in The Hitavada on March 20, 2011)

(Logo of World Sparrow Day)

They are beloved ‘Chiu Taais’ of all kids. These tiny chirpy, plump birds are one of the oldest companions of human beings. Perky and bustling, house sparrows have always been seen, mingling with finches in the fields in autumn and winter, but now weeks pass without a single one putting in an appearance. On the occasion of World Sparrow Day on March 20, The Hitavada tried to find out, where exactly the sparrows have gone?

House sparrow has become a mystery bird and is becoming increasingly rare all over. People have realised that these chirpy birds are no longer to be seen, at least not as frequently as before. “They used to be countless in numbers! I remember flocks and flocks full of sparrows roaming in and around our old house, and we used to fill water in earthen pots for them during summer,” Maai Pethkar, now in her late 70s remembers. “That is why so our folk tales are sparrow-full,” she says.

In past few years, this bird has been on the decline both in urban and rural habitats. This is an indicator of the continuous degradation of environment around us. It is also a warning bell that alerts us about the possible damaging effects on human health and wellbeing. Time has come to form action groups to help and conserve these beautiful creatures. In Orange City, a few environmentalists are working hard for the cause. Amol Khante is one of them. “The recent threat to the birds comes in the form of emissions sent out from mobile towers. These affect insects and hatching of sparrows’ eggs,” he informs.

Another main reason behind decline in number of sparrows is changed human lifestyle. Nowadays, we bring Rice and other grain, polished and packed and ready to be cooked from malls. Gardens vanished, along with it, disappeared worms and insects that were part of the birds diet. The disappearance of old fashioned houses with eaves, cosy little niches and nooks and corners for the birds to build their nests. A more lethal reason is the chemicals used in urban and also in neo agrarian set up. The introduction of unleaded petrol is one, as the combustion of which produces compound methyl nitrite, which is highly toxic for insects that forms a vital part of a chick's diet. Young birds cannot thrive without their accustomed food and the decline became more severe.Recently, Bohara community donated thousands of nest boxes to public in order to save their lives. This is welcome initiative and should be carried forward by other social groups.

Environmentalists have decided to observe March 20 as world House Sparrow Day to use it as a platform to underscore the need to conserve sparrows as well as the urban biodiversity. It will also help in attracting the attention of government agencies and the scientific community to take notice of the need for the conservation of the common bird species and urban biodiversity.

Cutting of this news published in The Hitavada on March 20, 2011