Manjunath Nayak:
Even as we celebrate World Sparrow Day on March 20, the environmental indicator species – the House Sparrow is fast disappearing from cities and urban spaces. However, forests officials and citizens have come forward to save the species in towns and cities so that they don’t vanish once for all.
Our earliest memory of a bird – be it any species, is that of a small, brown-coloured bird, hopping around the balcony. Our morning and evening routines revolved around the bird’s synchronised chirping, greeting us like clockwork. In fact, our reminiscences of our childhood pertain only to sparrows which used to come to our backyards to eat grains.
The reasons for disappearance of sparrows in urban spaces are many:
- Excessive electromagnetic radiations from mobile towers & Wi-Fi networks,
- disturbance to their breeding cycles and navigation,
- rising pollution,
- use of pesticides,
- rapid urbanization,
- loss of nesting sites in cities
- change in architectural styles,
- lack of food and
- rising population of crows, cats in cities.
SPARROW CONSERVATION IN BELAGAVI
In this background, many people are working on to bring back these ubiquitous species back to cities but this is not such an easy task.
Hailing from Belagavi district, Sangamesh N Prabhakar, Assistant Conservator of Forest, Manchikere, Yellapur Division of Uttar Kannada district serving in the Karnataka Forest Department has been running a campaign across many districts.
This is to bring in awareness about sparrows and their conservation and to protect these birds by distributing nests to people and encouraging people to take up this campaign to save sparrows in their home districts. The campaign involves districution of bamboo nests, bird baths, etc.
Most of the stories and poems we were told by our grandparents also mention these small and plump birds with an affinity for seeds. In fact, for us, “chidiya” which means a bird in Hindi, was analogous with the one and only House Sparrow!
SPARROW CONSERVATION FOUNDATION
However, wonderful these memories may be, the little House Sparrow have gradually bid adieu to our backyards and cities. To watch a bird that prevailed in our lives and culture disappear rampantly is disturbing and a cause of worry. On World Sparrow Day celebrated on March 20 every year, let’s find out what led to this mighty fall and what we can do to save the species.
In fact, Sangamesh Prabhakar started Sparrow Conservation Foundation started in Belagavi almost a decade back. Now, this movement to save sparrows has spread from Belagavi to districts like Gadag, Davangere and Bengaluru with many like-minded bird lovers and other people taking active participation.
BELAGAVI:
Team includes Purushottam G, Manjunath, IRS Additional Commissioner GST, Shrikant Khanadhale, retired DFO Bharat Reddy DSP, Mahantesh Patatar, District Register Office, Sanjay, Gogte First Grade College, Vashim Tenagi, ACF Shrinath Kadolkar, ACF, Sangamesh Padnad, Canara Bank Employee, Raju Nayak, Bank Manager, Vijay Sinnur, CPI, Khanapur Police Training Academy, Ravi Bhairawadagi, Proprietor Nalapaka Hotel.
BENGALURU:
Prashant PKM, MD, Karnataka Soaps and Detergents and Sankinamath, IFS Managing Director, JLR Bengaluru are taking active part in the movement to save sparrows.
DHARWAD:
The lone team member here is retired Timmapur teacher, Pavan Kulkarni.
GADAG & DAVANGERE:
The team includes Narayan, Vijay, Director Bachapan School and Mangala Neelagund who demonstrated immense interest in saving sparrows in their districts.
HAVERI:
Chandrashekhar Patil, DFO Social Forest and other volunteers in this district have taken the lead and taken keen interest in taking forward the sparrow conservation movement.
BALLARI:
Team includes Kiran Kallammanavar, RFO in the Karnataka Forest Department have come forward while other volunteers are spreading awareness about sparrows.
VIJAYNAGAR:
Nagaraj K M Range Forest Officer, Daroji Bear Sanctuary has taken the lead here in spreading awarenes about conservation of sparrows which is an environmental indicator species.
YADAGIRI:
Bharat Talwar, DSP, and other volunteers are actively involved in the movement.
Various teams in these districts are distributing nests and bird bath to schools, colleges and public and conducting awareness programs about how conservation of sparrows started in the Belagavi district more than a decade back and the urgent need to save these birds.
Further, members go around various districts of Karnataka conducting many awareness programmes on the ecological importance of sparrows and distribute bamboo nests.
Further, earthen pots (to hold drinking water for sparrows and other birds in summer) are distributed. This is basically done as bird baths are necessary in due to extreme temperatures in the summer season and, many birds die due to scarcity of water.
CONSERVATION MOVEMENT SPREADS
The Sparrow Conservation Foundation (SCF) started in 2015 when Sangamesh Prabhakar was serving as RFO in Belagavi. So far, this big team of dedicated members across Karnataka in many districts have distributed nearly 2500 bamboo nests and 3000 birdbaths around Karnataka including Bengaluru.
Till date, various team members have managed to make themselves free for visiting parks, school and colleges, and public places to distribute bamboo nests and bird baths to the people. Creating awareness among the people, they request them to hang nests in their house verandas, to keep birdbaths on terrace or compound or in their gardens.
As a result, sparrows have started returning to urban spaces slowly as in these spaces, they had disappeared completely. As part of Wildlife Awareness Week, the Sparrow Conservation Foundation has organised many cyclothons in various districts of Karnataka, thereby, creating awareness in connection with sparrows.
OTHER CONSERVATION EFFORTS
Sangamesh has been serving in the Karnataka Forest Department for the last 17 years. He has led a 500- kilometre conservation cycling expedition in 2020 promoting elephant corridor and vulture conservation but continues his work as a sparrow conservationist with all zeal and dedication.
He adds, “We are very happy to share a wonderful step towards bird conservation. The Sparrow Conservation Foundation – Belagavi, Gadag, and Davangere, along with Infiworld Foundation and the enthusiastic Bengaluru Hudugaru team, jointly carried out the installation of sparrow nest boxes in Bengaluru.”
For his commendable contribution, Sangamesh Prabhakar has been awarded by Jumbo award in the year 2012, Kannada Rajyotsava Awardin 2019, Saarige Ratna Award in 2019 including many other awards.
PRODUCTION OF BAMBOO NESTS
Giving a fillip to the sparrow conservation work is Narayan N, a Master Craftsmen in Bamboo craft from Mallasamudra village, Gadag district. He is involved in manufacturing bamboo nests since the last three years. He carries these nests and earthen pots personally to the towns and villages wherever the sparrow conservation awareness programmes are being conducted by SCF.
Speaking to the Green Minute News, Sangamesh Prabhakar said, “Global warming is one of the major reasons for the urgent need to conserve sparrows. The temperature of the earth is increasing year by year due to climate change, urbanization, and environmental degradation. These changes are affecting many living organisms, including small birds like sparrows.”
ENVIRONMENTAL INDICATORS
House Sparrows are very sensitive to environmental changes. Rising temperatures, loss of nesting spaces in modern buildings, reduction of insects due to pesticides, and changes in local habitats are causing a steady decline in their population in many areas.
Although sparrows are tiny birds, their role in nature is very significant. So, installation of sparrow nests becomes very important.
Further, sparrows help in controlling insect populations, act as indicators of a healthy environment, and are an important part of the ecological food chain. The disappearance of sparrows is often considered a warning sign that the local ecosystem is under stress.
HEALTHIER ENVIRONMENT
Because of these reasons, the Sparrow Conservation Foundation initiative was taken up to create awareness among people and encourage simple actions like installing sparrow nest boxes, providing bird baths, planting native trees, and protecting natural habitats.
“Our aim is not only to save sparrows but also to protect biodiversity and promote a healthier environment for future generations,” the dedicated ACF from Yellapur signs off.