If you released a flock of house sparrows in central Chennai, ten-to-one they would unhesitatingly wing it towards the North. While bird lovers bemoan the loss of sparrow habitats in Mylapore and Triplicane, the birds have found in North Chennai a perfect clime to berth and breed. Their chirruping is heard in markets, rooftops and gutters in many wards there. A study by CARE, the eco-club of Sri Venkateswara College of Engineering, shows that this part of the city has a conducive environment for sparrows, says Sanjay Dillibabu, who heads a group of former and current student volunteers engaged in protecting the birds.
Manali
Shunning the giant refineries and mega gas pipes, the house sparrows have chosen to stay in villages off the industrial grid. At the wayside kiosk that stocks everyday stuff, you spot the first improvised nest, put up by S. Uma, the owner. “It’s a family tradition,” she says, “My appa would feed them millets and pulses. They are here from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m., and again from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.”
There are plenty of them here, says Bhavani L, pointing to the group flying out of the carton-nests hanging in her porch. “They tweet till night, but it’s like having someone at home to ward off loneliness. I love to watch their flying manoeuvres,” she says, adding that she feeds them water and grain.
Painter G. Murugan wonders what the fuss is about. Doesn’t everyone have leafy trees, a water-tap, puddles, and window grills in their front compound? He just added a nest and stuck a sheaf of grain to lend it a natural look. “I get upwards of 20 birds here,” he says.
High-school student S. Tamilselvan spreads rice and wheat on the cement floor to welcome the friends. “I breed both pigeons and sparrows,” he smiles. A. Naveen and S. Dhanraj of CARE spot more in the bushy jasmine creeper; they are hiding from crows that steal their eggs. They say that most households fashion nests when they see sparrows visiting them every day. The students place their sturdy wooden boxes so that the birds have a better chance to survive and breed.
Korukkupet
M. Mosikeeran and S. Muthu are proud of the swelling sparrow numbers in Korukkupet, an area with fewer electric poles and cell phone towers. Sparrows are everywhere in the neat and narrow lanes in this suburban village. “We winnow rice outside; they come to pick the bran and grains,” says P. Devi of Bharatnagar. “I recall seeing sparrows for 22 years now. They nibble at the grains we spread out to dry. Their morning cheep is like music to us.”
M. Zairuddin, who runs a mobile phone business, wakes up to their morning call and places rice on the compound wall for them. He says about 15 sparrow families have made use of the box he has placed for them. Any gap, even in electric boxes, turns into a nesting site, but CARE volunteers hang a wooden box nearby to lure them to a safer home. People’s co-operation is the key, say the students. They give us drilling machines, offer soft drinks/refreshments, and don’t question our actions, they add.
Tondiarpet
S. Arunachalam and G. Mani drive down from Tambaram during weekends to check on the birds, as part of a conservation effort they joined four years ago. At Vinayakapuram, hidden from sunshine and bustle, the sparrows cheep loudly. People feed all birds and animals without considering it a nuisance; it gives them a sense of being amid Nature.
They listen to student inputs on supporting breeding places, and welcome different batches of students coming in to check on the birds and boxes.
S. Jayanthi crushes lentils before putting them out on the ledge, along with a bowl of water. She has no problem cleaning up after the birds. Young mother M. Rajeswari already raises lovebirds, and the sparrows join them in her tiny balcony.
T. Sivakami runs a tiffin centre in the morning and evening, and the foodcrumbs lure the birds.
Old Washermanpet
We conducted surveys and built houses for sparrows in Royapuram, Old Washermanpet and New Washermanpet, say S. Pravallika and K. Ganesh Kumar as we leave Rajarathnam Salai to move into the narrower side-streets. Within three months, they found that 75 per cent of the nests were occupied. Old Washermanpet has more vehicles and fewer trees. Here, birds need pro-active support to survive, and the people are ready to offer it. All we ask is permission to put up the boxes, and anything people do to welcome and retain them is a bonus, say the students.
Royapuram
S. Chitra and her young family see a lot of these tiny visitors each morning in their Thambu Lane building, where more than 20 families live.
“The rooms are built around an open courtyard and the birds fly in to pick food from the ground. There’s no reason to not welcome them,” she says. In Royapuram, you see sparrows flitting around the dal mandi , say local policemen.
The dense population and grain shops with gunny bags ensure a regular supply of food.
Call 98401-15718 or mail svcecare@gmail.com for a bird box
