World sparrow day: Sans habitat, bird population dwindles in urban areas

Aparna Banerji

Jalandhar, March 20

The population of house sparrow (Passer domesticus indicus) once common to large swaths of India, has in the past decade or more, witnessed a steep decline, especially in the urban areas of the country. Hundreds of tiny birds once frequented the plains of Northern India chattering atop houses and balconies. Now, they are restricted only to select habitats.

On the World Sparrow Day, The Tribune looks into the dwindling population of the bird in Punjab plains and causes behind it.

Experts generally believe that sparrows have vanished from the urban areas due to their dwindling habitat and installation of mobile towers.

Nikhil Senger, a wildlife watcher and conservationist, whose artworks bear testimony to the decline in sparrow population, says, “The bird still commonly nests in wild habitats where it finds conducive roosting and breeding conditions. The birds’ population has reduced in the urban areas because conditions which make their survival possible do not exist anymore. Houses have no room for ventilation or holes. Home gardens have lesser indigenous plants.”

He said, “The urban areas have almost done away with ber or Indian plum (Ziziphus mauritiana) and other trees on which the bird commonly bred. The excessive use of pesticides and toxic food products entering the food supply chain also have a bearing on the bird population. The bird still breeds in the areas which have indigenous plants and homes with archaic architecture and jharokhas (a stone window projecting from the wall face of a building) and pockets.”

Nikhil said, “House sparrows are deemed innocent and delicate birds which have a soothing effect on the minds of the people. That is why people opt for their drawings on panels.”

Narbir Singh, vice president, Chandigarh Bird Club, and former member of Punjab and Chandigarh Wildlife Boards, said, “The change in the architectural pattern of houses has had a direct bearing on the common sparrow population. Previously houses had jharokhas in which the bird found plenty of areas to roost and nest. But with the ACs, these spaces are no move available. Also, people earlier brought grains directly at home which were washed and dried, giving birds plenty of food. Though birds eat only grains, they feed insects to their chicks. The decline in insects also curbed their food supplies. Besides, sparrows nested in ber trees and thorny bushes to protect chicks from predators. Even today, sparrows can be found aplenty in the areas of the Northern India where such habitat exists.”

Both Nikhil Senger and Narbir Singh do not believe that mobile towers had affected the common sparrow population. They said a large population of the bird could be seen even in the areas with mobile towers.