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| House Sparrow population crash by 90% : Experts | | |
Early Times Report
Jammu, Dec 24: Universally familiar in appearance, the widespread and once abundant house sparrow now seems to become just a mystery bird and becoming increasingly rare, not only in the urban areas but also along the countryside.
Records clearly disclose that not only the urban areas, but the countryside has also witnessed a massive decline in the population of house sparrow in the past three decades.
Ornithologists and wildlife experts speculate that the population crash could be linked to a variety of factors like the lack of nesting sites in modern concrete buildings, disappearing kitchen garden, increased use of pesticides in farmlands and the non- availability of food sources. The recent threat is from mobile towers.
The emission they sent out is disturbing to the sparrows, which also affects the insects and the hatching of bird's eggs. "House sparrows have always been seen perking and bustling, mingling with finches and hopping from branch to branch in the bushes outside my house, but now weeks pass without a single one putting in an appearance," says Kiran Suri, a bird lover. "Goraiya, the house-sparrow, the little sweetie in countless poetry, lyrics, songs and folk-songs and paintings, is today facing a crisis of survival. It's been several years now that we miss the familiar "chi-chi-chi" every morning and the lovely sight of Goraiyas dancing around." said Kiran
"I wish that it does not remain confined to the books and stories and comes back to us as ever before," she adds.
It was also pointed out that lack in the ability of hatching eggs, as well as in the feeding capacity has also emerged to be some of the major reasons behind the dwindling population of house sparrow.
A Wildlife officer in Jammu, said that the loss of natural habitat and decline in the reproductive efficiency because of egg sheath infector are some of the major reasons of its dwindling population.
"Earlier people used to live in mud houses with wooden roofs that provided favourable conditions to the house sparrow to dwell, but now due to urbanization and modification in architecture, the poor species is facing a crisis of survival," says wildlife officer.
He further claims that in the past few decades, Jammu has witnessed a 90% decline in the population of house sparrow.
House sparrows are generally attracted to buildings for roosting, nesting, and covers, so people should build artificial nests for sparrow from waste of corrugated boxes, hang them at their places on trees or passages, plant them in farms, fields and even residential bungalows; and regularly put water and grains, officer suggested.
"Moreover, Cell phone towers should not be set up in the areas with rich bird population," he added. |
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