Changing lifestyle and rapid urbanisation have pushed the adorable House Sparrows (Gubbacchi) from urban areas to the periphery of human habitat, in what is reckoned to be a non-reversible shift.
In the run-up to the International House Sparrow Day on March 20, there are growing concerns that the sparrows may be further alienated from human landscape as trends of urbanisation sweeps across the rural hinterland.
D. Rajkumar of the Wildlife Conservation Foundation said the lifestyle of sparrows is closely entwined with human beings. “Till recently, they were found in our backyards, nestling in the space between the tiled roof and the wall. But tiled roofs have been supplanted by RCC roofs and multi-storeyed structures while there is a general destruction of the bird habitat all around forcing them to shift,” said Mr. Rajkumar.
But what is disconcerting is that sparrows are becoming rare even in semi-urban settings due to horizontal expansion of the city. Places like Hinkal, Yelwal, Alanahalli play host to sparrows that share space with humans but their numbers are declining.
Habitat destruction apart, the lifestyle of the present generation has affected the sparrows the most. “It was a common sight to see food grains being cleaned in most houses about 20 to 25 years ago and the sparrows would feed on broken grains left in the verandah or compound. But today it is all polished rice that people consume and sparrows have nothing to feed on,” said C.S. Kulashekara, an employee of the State Bank of India, who is also an avid bird watcher.
