Where have Sparrows gone?

Biodiversity is depleting fast everywhere and the rate of depletion is high in our urban centers. The issue of maintaining a balance between development and urban biodiversity is increasingly becoming a concern. The pattern of development, vehicular emissions, and rampant urbanisation are endangering many species of birds, animals and aquatic life. The more visible and felt disappreance of sparrows is a warning signal. Our informed and empowered municipalities can be instrumental in tackling biodiversity loss

Biodiversity, to my understanding, is a subject that covers almost everything in our environment—from birds, aquatic life, insects, butterflies, animals, water bodies, floodplains, plants and what not. I am no expert on this particular subject, but seeing the depletion of the biodiversity around us does not require specialized training. It is disheartening to see that we are losing our biodiversity fast. Environmental degradation coupled with mindless construction everywhere is endangering the future of coming generations. It is quite visible. Now and then we see the impacts on our cities.
In this edition of Urban Update, many experts are writing on technical aspects of urban biodiversity. I will not dwell on those subjects. I would rather like to write on something which I experienced in the last few years. I am intrigued by gradual disappearance of house sparrows from our cities. House sparrow is a social bird and lives comfortably in human proximity. The birds have always been friendly. It has been seen that they allow kids to hold them in their hands and then let them fly again. Once abundant, the sighting of this humble bird is becoming a rarity. The decline can be attributed to reducing nesting sites in ever-growing cities, non-availability of insects or other foods these birds eat, use of pesticides, radiation from mobile towers, and vehicular pollution.

Decline in population

House sparrows were everywhere, in our villages and also in urban centers. People born in the last century witnessed these much-loved birds in their surroundings. Sparrows could be found on rooftops, balconies and gardens. In the last two decades, the bird suddenly began disappearing from our urban homes. If you go to villages or to places where there is less pollution, you can still find them.
A recent study by Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) published a report that analyzes the change in population pattern of sparrows in different Indian states. It says, “the house Sparrow population in Andhra Pradesh has reduced up to 88 per cent and in other states like Kerala, Gujarat, Rajasthan it has dropped down up to 20 per cent. In coastal areas of India, the population has dropped very significantly to 70 – 80 per cent. The main cause of the decline of this species remains unidentified but it is believed that the unavailability of nests because of modernization, rapid construction growth, and deforestation can lead to their decline.”
An article in Down to Earth magazine says, “At the MS University campus in Baroda, house sparrows have been studied extensively since 1960 using nest boxes. Bony Pilo of the Zoology department reports that these boxes have been lying vacant for the last few years, marking a definite fall in the campus sparrow population. Dr Shyam Sunder Rao, head of the All India Coordinated Project on Agricultural Ornithology, reports declining sparrow populations at most of the places where studies have been conducted.”
So people from all walks of life have realized that the population of the bird is going down everywhere. However, some initiatives here and there bring some good news now and then. Recently a write-up in a newspaper in Kerala said that the population of the bird might be going down in cities but it has significantly improved in coastal areas. But this news is an exception, not a norm in a large geographical area.
Their population is also getting affected because of declining food availability for the birds. Earlier, in cities too, people used to dry their grains on roofs or in the verandah but with changing consumerism pattern, people are buying packaged foods. Moreover, birds eat insects and worms from nearby farmlands but the increased use of pesticides has affected their availability. The conservation of sparrows needs a holistic approach in which farmers, villagers, local governments and common citizens need to come together.

What can citizens do

It has been seen in many cities that people’s participation in saving house sparrows is of utmost importance. Many bird lovers and community groups have placed artificial nests to provide the birds with safe nesting places. The experts suggest that it has been seen that number of birds visiting artificial nests increases dramatically in a couple of days. Some organisations are actively participating and promoting the use of artificial nests at homes, gardens, and other open spaces. Lucknow University’s Zoology Department with the State Biodiversity Board ran an awareness program and gifted artificial nests as mementos to dignitaries in their events. In Visakhapatnam, environmental NGO Green Climate organizes workshops in schools and colleges and teaches students how to make bird feeders from discarded items. It is a good initiative; if the youngsters are made aware they will understand the importance of these birds. Hopefully, they will not do anything that harms their existence. Such initiatives can be replicated elsewhere too. It is true if the urban environment and its ecosystem is not healthy, then a city cannot become prosperous riding on the back of concrete jungle. Humans need to take care, not just of their own interests, but those of every other living organism too. There are some initiatives which people can take on their own and make a difference. We need to make sure that we address the root cause, that is reduce burning of fossil fuels and bring down pollution levels. Governments are also supporting the campaign of saving sparrows. Delhi and Bihar have declared House Sparrow, binomial name Passer domesticus, as the State Bird. People from all over the country are realizing the bird is disappearing, and they are coming forward and joining hands to conserve sparrows with their individual and collective efforts. The Nature Forever Society of India started celebrating World Sparrow Day on March 20, 2010 and since then, many bird lover organisations celebrate the day world over. Experts say that the sparrows are also indicators of healthy urban biodiversity; so when these humble birds return to cities, we will know that our urban biodiversity is healthy once again.

Delhi and Bihar have declared House Sparrow, binomial name Passer domesticus, as the State Bird. People from all over the country are realizing the bird is disappearing, and they are coming forward and joining hands to conserve sparrows with their individual and collective efforts. The Nature Forever Society of India started celebrating World Sparrow Day on March 20, 2010 and since then, many bird lover organisations celebrate the day world over