SPARROWS ON THE BRINK OF EXTINCTION
THE world has just celebrated World Sparrow Day on March 20, but sparrows are on the verge of extinction. Sparrows are ubiquitous birds. They are called by names like house sparrows and shelter sparrows. They nest in habitats where humans are present.
If you build a nest in a tree, the eggs and chicks will be eaten by larger birds. So, the nestlings live in a safe place in a human house.
Sadly, due to climate change and a change of human habitation, their nests are missing. Many of these birds build their nests in thatched houses and log houses.
Sparrows nest between roof beams in those houses. Now most of the houses are concrete buildings with air-conditioned facilities.
And with the construction of cement houses in urban areas, sparrows are left with no shelter.
Similarly, earlier houses used to store grain in sacks. These sparrows pick and eat those grains. Presently, grains are stored in plastic bags at home.
Sparrows eat all the food items that man eats, including rice. Nowadays, the food culture and lifestyle of people have changed a lot.
Due to these factors, the number of sparrows has decreased owing to lack of adequate food and shelter.
Fertilisers and pesticides used in excess in crops are also reasons for the dwindling number of sparrows.
In earlier times, crows, sparrows, chickens and pigeons lived together with humans. But many of these birds cannot be seen today.
Today’s children are not as familiar with sparrows as they are with crows. It is also said that the species of sparrow is becoming extinct in urban areas.
This is due to a lack of research and understanding of this extinction. The International Union for Conservation of Nature is preparing a list of endangered species that include sparrows.
Destruction of wetland bird habitats, loss of shrub vegetation and reduction in breeding sites are seen as contributing factors to the decline in sparrows.
But the main reason is the scarcity of insects and grains. The protein content of sparrows is mainly found in these grains. Chemicals like petrol are known to be a deadly poison to sparrows.
And small grains, such as millet, corn and rye, are their staple food. This is also a reason for food shortages for sparrows in cities with low yields.
Since sparrows can sense changes in their surroundings, they serve as a bio-indicator of a healthy urban environment.
A healthy sparrow population indirectly improves human health. With the decline of this species, human health is also affected.
The change in human lifestyle, climate change, pollution and environmental degradation are the reasons for the reduction and maybe extinction of this species.
N.V. SUBBAROW Senior education and environmental officer, Consumers Association of Penang