The World Sparrow Day was celebrated on Monday to raise awareness of the house sparrow and other common birds to urban environments, and of threats to their populations.
These beautiful house sparrows are now fast disappearing. There are several reasons behind their disappearance. The need of the hour is to take steps for the conservation of these species of birds.
The house sparrow is among those few things, most of us remember from our childhood. Sparrows are perhaps the most familiar of all birds with most species of this bird living near human settlements and agricultural areas.
They mostly survive on food grains and tiny worms. The association between humans and the house sparrow dates back to several centuries and no other bird has been associated with humans so closely like the house sparrow.
Unfortunately, the house sparrow is now disappearing. Scientists believe there is a number of different reasons responsible for the decline in the number of sparrows. The most common of them are loss of their habitat, lack of insect food for the young and even the increasing microwave pollution from mobile phone towers.
At one time a very commonly found, the bird today is a rare sight, both in rural and urban areas. The disappearance of this little magical bird from our courtyard has evoked concern from both the environmentalists and civil society.
A number of NGO’s organisations have started taking steps for the conservation of sparrows.
Here’s what you can do to save the sparrows:
• Put bird boxes and bird feeders outside your house or in your gardens.
• A simple step like putting out Water-bowls or a bird-baths in the hot summer afternoon helps save the birds allowing them to re-hydrate.
• Growing plants and hedges that are native to the place you live will encourage some of the common birds to come back.
The decline of the house sparrow is an indicator of the continuous degradation of the environment. It is important that we all come together to conserve this species so that the future generations too can grow up with fond memories of this humble but much loved feathered friend.