Save the Sparrows from Becoming a Thing of Yore

House Sparrows have been one of the most important parts of our childhood. Waking up to their chirp, feeding them grains, watching them nurse babies in their tiny nests have been fondest growing up memories for every kid. Humans have had a special bond with sparrows perhaps because they build their nests in the cracks of our houses and co-exist as part of an extended family. Watching them turn up in flocks to pick up grains, their playful bickering or witnessing them cling onto freshly sprouted mango and guava fruits have always brought immense delight to us, adding light moments into our mundane lives. The existence of sparrows has been strongly prevalent even in our culture and tradition. They are perhaps the birds that have had the closest relationship with human beings.

However, most of us might have noticed that now it has become difficult to spot sparrows around us. When was the last time you heard the chirping of a sparrow or found one lost in its playful antics on the veranda of your house? Do you remember the last time you leaped with joy finding a sparrow nest on your balcony? While we are briskly chasing growth and development, an indispensable part of our childhood and an essential member of the ecosystem is gradually waning away from the surface of the earth. It might be shocking but true that the sparrow populations across the globe are on a steady decline and only 20% of the population exists today. Wondered why? Blame it on urbanization.

Owing to rapid urbanization and crave for advanced infrastructure, modern houses are being raised in such ways that are bereft of roofs or corners and crevices conducive for sparrows to build their habitats. Gardens, which also served homes to sparrows are becoming a thing of the past to suit our modern taste. The bevy of mobile towers being raised from villages to cities is posing a constant threat to the lives of these teeny little friends of ours. The radiation emanating from the mobile towers are affecting both their mental as well as reproductive ability. Another vital reason is the extinction of worms and insects in the fields due to the rampant use of fertilizers. Lack of insects is causing severe scarcity of food for sparrow chicks, drawing them to near endangerment.

Bhopal Birds, a Madhya Pradesh-based organization, has been making ceaseless efforts for the protection and conservation of sparrows for the past 10 years. To raise awareness, they have been conducting seminars, workshops, competitions, and programmes at school and college level. In the wake of decreasing habitat for sparrows, the organization is also distributing artificial nests to individuals and groups to help the breeding of the birds and increase their reproductive ablity.

To spread awareness on the need for conservation of sparrows, MP MyGov, in association with Bhopal Birds, is organizing a competition. Based on the topics mentioned below, entries are being invited from all Indian citizens. The prime objective of this competition is to create awareness among citizens on protecting sparrows and preventing them from becoming extinct.

1. Share with us your memories with sparrows in the form of a story.
2. If there is a sparrow nest near your house, share your photograph with it and also mention how you take care of it. (Be careful not to hurt the nest, the birds or the birdlings while taking photos).
3. Mention the measures you take as an individual to help increase the number of sparrows and their aeration (place of living)
4. Share suggestions on ways you can bring back sparrows to our courtyards.

Our relation with sparrows dates back to our childhood. If we make collaborative efforts, we can certainly succeed in bringing back sparrows to our homes. Let’s take some time out from virtual ‘Twitter’ to pay heeds to the sound of a real tweet.