Save the sparrow
- POSTED ON: 22 Mar, 2024
- TOTAL VIEWS: 356 Views
- POSTED BY: Archana Subramanian
- ARTICLE POINTS: 100 Points
When was the last time you heard a sparrow chirp? These little brown-grey birds, once found in plenty, are hardly ever seen in cities today.This is why we need to celebrate World Sparrow Day, to spread the message of conservation and appreciate the beauty of something that was once taken for granted.
Declining numbers
The house sparrow was once found in huge numbers across the world. A social bird, it lived in colonies (called flocks) across urban and rural areas, in bus stands, railway stations, homes, parks… However, the indiscriminate felling of trees and the increasing number of high-rise buildings across cities led to declining numbers. How did this affect the sparrows?
The sparrow feeds on food grains and insects and worms found in plants. With green spaces decreasing, food supplies dried up. Earlier, local grocery stores would store food grains in gunny bags and the sparrows would feed on those that fell on the ground when rice, wheat or pulses were being measured. Today, these are pre-packaged and sold in supermarkets, leading to declining access for the birds. In the fields, where the sparrows once fed, the use of chemical fertilizers has poisoned their diet. Second, sparrows also love to bathe; both in water and dust. Water is a scarce resource in most cities and concrete areas rarely have dust. Third, scientists suspect that the mushrooming of cell phone towers and the radiation from them has had a harmful impact on sparrows by damaging their immune and nervous system and interfering with their ability to navigate.
To know more about this cheerful chirper and how you can help it, click below
Why do we need to save the sparrows? Click on the plus signs in the image below to know the reasons.