Missing house sparrows sign of ecological distress, say experts

On eve of World Sparrow Day (March 20), environmentalists have demanded that the government take measures to create a conducive environment to increase their dwindling population.

Demanding care of animal and bird varieties that have suffered due to neglect, the environmentalists sought measures to protect house sparrows who are struggling to find space from their immediate environment which is rapidly changing, guided by commercial interests. They demanded creation of an environment for sparrows to grow, including plantation of native trees, minimising the use of pesticides and insecticides, setting up of an authority to research and conserve the dwindling population of house sparrows.

Prabhjot Singh, an environmentalist, said people have to understand that certain species of animals, plants and other organisms need a habitat (environmental area) where they can naturally live and survive, have food that suits them, but above all, can mate and multiply. In their wanton greed to acquire more, people and even organisations are destroying their natural habitat. Many species have either disappeared or are near extinction causing a wide gap between man and biodiversity. For instance, the present city-bred young generation is unaware of the melodious chirpings of house sparrows while it forms part of precious memories of the elderly, he observed. Despite its name ‘house sparrow’, it is no longer visible in homes in cities, he observed.

Experts working at the grassroots level to make the city and its surroundings clean and green are of the view that loss of habitat, destruction of biodiversity on a large scale and excess spraying of pesticides, insecticide and herbicides are a major reason behind the drastic fall in the number of small birds including house sparrows, doves, partridges and quails (bater). Sighting of butterflies and traditional honeybees has also become rare.

Environmentalist PS Bhatty said that these small birds inhabit thorny shrubs and trees such as Beri, Keekar and Malha. They also like Jand and Vann trees in dry land. Uncultivated land is usually full of these trees but in the past two decades, the habitats of these birds were destroyed and they could not multiply with the result that in a few years, their population has been reduced to near extinction.

The life span of a sparrow is four to six years and it weighs 25 to 40 grams. It feeds on insects and plays an important role in maintaining biodiversity. Partridges (Teetars) and quails (bater) are wild small birds and they are omnivorous. They can eat small grains and insects too.

According to another environmentalist Baljit Singh Dhillon, a second reason is the spraying of pesticides, insecticide and herbicides which destroy their food. Another reason is the arrival of non-native trees, plants and crops which they were not accustomed to. House sparrows used to construct their nest in houses and straw thatched roofs called ‘Chhapar’ but now in modern houses, no holes, cavity or niches are available for them to lay their eggs. These are the reasons why these small birds are disappearing, he said.