March 20 is celebrated as World Sparrow Day. The main purpose behind it is to draw attention to the conservation of this little bird. Although the House Sparrow species faces multiple threats, its status in the IUCN Red List is ‘Least Concern’, meaning that this species does not require conservation efforts.
Today, if children are asked about a sparrow, they know about it but have rarely seen it. In most of the cities of India, the population of House Sparrow is negligible.
Reasons For The Declining Population Of House Sparrow
There are various reasons behind this decline.
The main reason is lack of spaces for the sparrow to build their nest. Older generation houses used to be suitable places for sparrows to live in, but today’s attractive glass buildings, new construction style and concrete houses have made it difficult for sparrows to make their nest.
Rapid urbanisation, deforestation, massive pollution and microwave radiation from towers are some of the reasons why the sparrow population has declined alarmingly, especially since the 1990s.
What Can Be Done To Protect The Sparrows?
(1) Keep water bowls and seeds in your courtyards, terrace or balconies to meet their food needs.
(2) Hang self-made or ready-made nests at a height.
(3) Plant more trees so that cities become suitable for birds to live in.
(4) Reduce the usage of mobile phones as they cause damage to the environment due to radiation.
(5) Reduce activities that create air pollution. It is not suitable for birds to live in a polluted environment.
(6) Participate in public awareness efforts in collaboration with NGOs and educational institutions.