The common sparrow’s numbers may be dwindling by at least 1% every year but the chirpy little birds have now found themselves a saviour.
The common sparrow’s numbers may be dwindling by at least 1% every year but the chirpy little birds have now found themselves a saviour.
Indian forest service (IFS) officer Pratibha Singh’s conservation efforts for the sparrow have made her a crusader dedicated to the cause of saving them from extinction.
As district forest official of the Uttar Pradesh Bio Diversity Board (UPBDB) she started a unique campaign to involve common people in this effort with the simplest of means. On World Sparrow Day (March 20), she had appealed to people to step out of their houses at 7am and email the number of sparrows they see to the UPBDB.
“The response has been as overwhelming as it was unexpected,” Singh said. In addition to emails that are still pouring in, people have also sent in poems and pictures of sparrows, the boxes and earthen pots they have put up to serve as homes for the sparrow.
The idea, besides creating awareness and enthusiasm among the people is to start an impromptu sparrow census, even though it might not be a scientific one. There has been no official sparrow census conducted as yet. “This could start off a strong people’s movement akin to the one in UK where conservation efforts for the common sparrow have gained momentum not because of government-aided schemes but due to mass participation,” said former UP chief wildlife warden and well-known conservationist Ram Lakhan Singh.
Experts have said the rapid urbanisation and change in people’s lifestyle are the main factors why the sparrow is endangered today. The increased use of chemicals and fertilisers, and increasing pollution is killing common insects which form the bird’s staple diet.
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