SAVE OUR SPARROWS

Do kids these days even know what sparrows are??? They probably know Jack Sparrow. Relax. It is never too late to do the right thing. We can show our kids what sparrows are if we can see them ourselves. Firstly, we should know why we do not see sparrows around. They are not migratory. They are native and not even a kind that’s seen only in wild territory and they are communsal. Where did they all go? Probably there’s a communication implied in the disappearance of sparrows.

“There is a special providence in the fall of a sparrow” said Hamlet. This quote stresses what the decline of the sparrow population has to indicate to humans.

An observer of nature truly would have been disturbed and appalled by the massive decline in sparrow population in our cities. After all, in those days, one need not be an observer of nature to sight a sparrow. Now we need an ornithologist, a bird enthusiast or someone from rural land.

The House Sparrow, the bird once grandparents told children in the family so many stories about, and would probably be the second bird, kids till the 90s get introduced to besides the House Crow, is now unseen almost everywhere. These birds in those days were part of every household, feeding on seeds, grains, and other food items, sparrows build nests in nooks and corners of the house. Blissful life… Long gone.

WHY?

The decline in the sparrow population seems to be a universal phenomenon. Big cities like London have already lost their sparrows. According to Denis Summers-Smith, a world expert on sparrows, the population decline was at its peak between 1970 and 1980 during which the automobiles switched over to unleaded petrol from leaded petrol. And MTBE — Methyl Tertiary Butyl Ether — an anti knocking agent, which along with combustion by-products, spewed from vehicles kill small insects that sparrows depend on for feeding their chicks during their first three days.

In our country, only in the recent past has unleaded fuel replaced leaded petrol. Nevertheless, Dave Hole, an ornithologist at Edward Grey Institute of Oxford University believes that the sparrows went where the grain was — a fundamental evolutionary rule. The grains are no longer transported in jute sacks and in cattle-driven wagons. This stopped the trail of spilled

grains. Another most accepted factor is the change in lifestyle of people. We have replaced tiled houses with concrete apartments. The traditional type of buildings always provided the sparrows with place for their nests.

IN CHENNAI

It was the ‘legend’ that the folks of the past advised their successors to learn from the sparrows to be active. However, the metaphorical advice is likely to have taken a different shape in peoples’ minds. People, especially in cities like Chennai, have become so busy (though not active ) that they do not even notice that they have lost their visitor – the house sparrow. But not all. Few are busy looking for our sparrows. The tales they heard about them, the sight that stayed in their memories, the longing to see the sparrows again triggered the seeking. EMAI contributes a great deal of effort to increase the sparrow population. A random population survey conducted by EMAI has revealed that in the past few months, the number of sparrows seems to have increased in certain parts of the city. In particular, North Chennai, parts of Ambattur, Avadi, Perambur, Ayanavaram, Parrys, Choolaimedu, T Nagar, Aminjikarai, Koyambedu, Porur, Thiruvanmiyur, Tambaram, Chromepet and Poonamallee have a relatively decent population of sparrows. Conversely, the sparrows give the impression that they have abandoned the concrete structures, although they are found in sections where huts and thatched roof houses exist.

Check out the link below for more info:

https://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/yw/2003/09/13/stories/2003091301370300.htm

However, a lot more study needs to be done to understand whether the apparent rise in sparrow population is an evidence of their comeback.

OUR INTERVENTION

EMAI always intends to opt of ‘appropriate technology’ rather than ‘advanced technology’ in order to go in vogue with nature. Now, EMAI has initiated a project towards conservation of the house sparrows. As part of this project, it has joined hands with CARE – Eco Club of Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering, Sriperumbur, (TN). The volunteers of the Club have developed an App Called Save our Sparrows in order to monitor the sparrow population across the state. The user friendly app has the picture of the house sparrow, both the male and female for those who have not seen the sparrows. Therefore, once a sparrow is identified anywhere, the user can take a photo of the bird as well as the place it is seen and upload it onto the app, tagging the geo location of the spot. This will, in the long run, create a sparrow map in the city which shows the distribution of the bird in various parts of Chennai. The data will be a tremendous addition to the e-bird international portal as EMAI offers it to for ornithological documentation and habitat studies. The App may be downloaded from Google Play store. It can also be reached at [http://www.saveoursparrows.org/] Besides that, you can join hands with us to save our sparrows in various different ways without spending any money. All that’s needed is your concern.

JOIN US

You can:

  • Provide nest boxes and feeders.

  • Provide bathing and watering trays for sparrows and other birds.

  • Campaign or advocate the use of less (preferably, no) chemicals in gardens and households.

  • Plant hedges and shrubs that support nesting and roosting.

  • Monitor the nest boxes adopted by sparrows and document their activity using volunteers from schools and colleges.

  • Locate active breeding sites and convince householders there to allow and undertake conservation measures.

  • Identify natural threats like cats, squirrels, crows and hawks and provide measures to discourage them.

  • Interact with builders, masons and carpenters to provide space in new constructions for sparrows’ nests.

  • Make space for the sparrow in your life and surroundings to make the world a better place for all.

                                                  Contact us for more information and opportunities to volunteer.

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