Bird watchers to revive house sparrow chirping in Shimla (March 20 is World Sparrow Day)
March 20th, 2011 - 6:28 pm ICT by IANSShimla, March 20 (IANS) A forum comprising bird watchers is working to save house sparrows and other small birds from extinction in this Himachal Pradesh capital.
“On World Sparrow Day (Sunday), we have launched a campaign to create awareness about the sharp decline in the number of sparrows and other small birds in the town,” Somesh Goyal, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer associated with forum Himachal Birds, told IANS.
He said the programme would mainly focus on building public opinion for conservation of small birds, especially house sparrows. The forum will install 40 artificial nests in Shimla’s parks and open spaces to enable the birds breed.
A small plump brownish bird, which is a widely distributed species in most parts of Europe and Asia, the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) has drastically disappeared from urban areas across the country. Flocks of the sparrow, which were a common sight till a few years ago, are now rarely seen.
M.R. Kaundal, retired government employee who settled in Shimla since 1945, said that earlier there was a good population of sparrows in the town. “Now it’s rarely seen. But there is alarming rise in the number of pigeons.”
Ornithologists attribute a number of reasons to this phenomenon. These include lack of nesting sites, use of pesticides and non-availability of food.
Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) environmentalist Mohammed E. Dilawar, who is based in Nashik, said the decline in the sparrow population is also due to lack of holes for nesting in modern houses.
BNHS director Asad Rahmani told IANS over phone from Mumbai that this year’s theme is “Chirp for the Sparrow, Tweet for the Sparrow”. The main event was held in Bengaluru in Wipro campus.
“Starting on World Sparrow Day, BNHS and Nashik-based Nature Forever Society will intensify their efforts to create awareness about the sharp decline in the numbers of sparrows and other small birds across India,” he said.
Last year, the first World House Sparrow Day (now called World Sparrow Day) was launched in New Delhi.
“Today’s common species are tomorrow’s threatened species, if timely conservation measures are not initiated,” Rahmani warned.
- Shimla to hold bird chase to log winged residents - Apr 23, 2011
- Where have all the sparrows gone? (With Images) (March 20 is World House Sparrow Day) - Mar 19, 2011
- Are house sparrows being driven away? (March 20 is World Sparrow Day) - Mar 19, 2012
- Donate binoculars, promote eco-awareness - Sep 02, 2011
- Himachal to count its feathered guests this month - Jan 29, 2012
- Know the bird and count it too - at Pong wetlands - Jan 25, 2011
- Urbanisation killing sparrows, notes Dikshit - Mar 20, 2010
- India should conserve its wetlands, says BNHS director - Feb 02, 2011
- This year celebrate 'Sparrow Holi' - Mar 20, 2011
- 41 bird species found in Himachal wetlands - Jun 12, 2011
- Reduce size of banned drug vials to save vultures, say campaigners - Sep 12, 2011
- Now GPS to monitor winged visitors to Himachal - Jan 22, 2011
- Maharashtra man enters Limca Book of Records (With Images) - Jun 09, 2011
- Jamnagar's animal activists celebrate World House Sparrow Day - Mar 20, 2010
- After tigers, tuskers, it's time to save vultures: Ramesh - Feb 17, 2011
Tags: alarming rise, artificial nests, bengaluru, bird watchers, bombay natural history society, dilawar, environmentalist, flocks, government employee, house sparrow, house sparrows, indian police service, modern houses, natural history society, open spaces, passer domesticus, shimla, small birds, somesh, tweet