By Sharing some pictures of Sparrows, Idea is to Remind You of the World Sparrow Day, a Day celebrated universally on 20th March to raise Awareness about conservation of Sparrows, in India, to my memory, initiative like this was taken a few years ago in NCT,Delhi under the leadership of Late Shiela Dixit ,former C.M. A few birds and animals,such as Dog, Cat, Parrot, Cow, Goat, Sparrow, Rabit, etc. always are found in human habitat, in all climate zones ,with the exception of deserts and fully snow covered land mass.
Close link, rather relationship between them and humans, was once a foregone conclusion.Proximity would always depend on love and care,we showered on them. If elders cared ,tiny tots too would imbibe good values to show affection to such useful, caring and loyal fauna. The house sparrow or Passer domesticus is a bird of the
sparrow family Passeridae, once found all over world.
In our infancy years ,we would find them in all the orchards and courtyards,wherein regular feed would be ensured.
Now that houses are no longer thatched with no courtyard, till a few years back,Sparrows would throng the balconies. But they would be more cautious if not threatened vis a vis life around spacious courtyards or plethora of farm land. Also there was no Mobile tower to deter them. Each time I raise this issue and make a fervent appeal,friends,relatives,well wishers say :
“Maybe, in your area but not in mine/ours they seem to have disappeared.”
If such is the trend, such a tiny, harmless and loving bird, having an average length of 16 centi meters, with prominent colour of light brown and grey, MAY BECOME EXTINCT.
There is, therefore, an immediate need to make available their preferred Feed of seeds of grains and weeds, insects etc. A city like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai or Noida (over 300 skyscrappers) is not the place for them. Friends, by taking more care and supporting conservation efforts let us strenthen our age old bond with them and also provide healthy learning opportunity to young generation, otherwise getting Glued to Cell phone,Net etc.
Compared to Piegons these birds do not make a place dirty or are instrumental in spreading any disease.
20th March is also International Day of Happiness. So why can’t we be more Happy in spreading this kind of Positive Message ?
Issued in Public Interest by Dr Aaloc Srivastav, A Retired Civil Servant from bio- diversity rich State of Sikkim (with additional inputs from Mrs. Amita Prasad, a distinguished colleague from Bengaluru)
