Authorities in the Indian capital, Delhi, have
adopted the house sparrow as the "state bird" in a bid to halt any
further decline in their numbers.
"We will take steps to ensure that the
sparrow returns, feels safe, and is able to live peacefully in the city,"
Chief Minister Shiela Dikshit said.
The house sparrow is fast disappearing from
India's rapidly-growing cities.
Experts say that a number of factors like high
pollution and a growing use of insecticides are to blame.
"Their numbers have gone down drastically,
specially in the cities. Sparrows don't like to build their nests in high-rise
buildings. They prefer old-style construction where there are lots of nesting
spaces," Sajeev TK of the Bombay Natural History Society's Delhi centre
told the BBC.
"Also, because of pollution and use of
insecticides, they are no longer able to find soft-bodied worms to feed their
chicks," he said.
Experts say the humble sparrow is also being
pushed out by bigger and more aggressive birds as food in the cities becomes
scarcer.
Bird lovers and wildlife officials say that an
aggressive awareness campaign can still save the sparrow and children would have
to be at the heart of any effort to bring it back home.
"People need to be made aware that the
sparrow shares the space with us in the cities. And children need to be
encouraged to feed them," says Ranjit Lal, an avid bird watcher who writes
on wildlife issues.
"Sparrows are smart birds, if they find
food, they will return."
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