Record attempt for Syedna’s birthday

As their spiritual leader Syedna Mohammad Burhanuddin celebrates his 100th birthday later this month, the Dawoodi Bohras have offered a unique gift to stem the decline in small birds by distributing 52,000 bird feeders.

The project called 'Save Our Sparrows (SOS), will be launched on March 6 at the community's Hussaini Mosque at Null Bazar. The community's environment arm, the Burhani Foundation, also hopes to create a world record by distributing the maximum number of bird feeders in a single day.

According to conservationists, the decline of once common birds like sparrows, and bulbuls has been caused by the decline in greenery and proliferation of concrete structures in the city.

The once common sparrow is particularly vulnerable. Several factors have been blamed for the decline, including redevelopment of chawls that used to provide nesting sites for the birds .

Dr Asad Rahmani, director of Bombay Natural History Society said, “The major reasons for the decline of sparrows is the increase in the number of crows that eat eggs and hatchlings. Use of insecticides is killing insects on which small birds feed.” 

For the past few years, a few groups have been trying to stop the decline. Sparrow Shelter has sold around 5,000 such nests.

Pramod Mane of Sparrow Shelter said that shelters installed by his group outside homes and in parks could have helped breed between 35,000 and 50,000 sparrows.

But conservationists say that feeders and bird shelters cannot be the solution to declining bird populations. “The best way to bring back the birds is by increasing the greenery. Birds are the indicator of a healthy environment," said Dr Rahmani.