INDImag – Contemporary fiction | Motivational short stories | Social stories | Short story criticism

The ‘House Sparrow’, as the very name suggests, is a hanger-on to man and his dwellings. In many parts of the world, especially Asia and Europe, this humble bird was accepted as a part of life and also as a harbinger of peace and prosperity.

Lately, in many Indian cities, this dependence on human settlements has been this gentle being’s undoing.

In urban India, these birds relied on using the houses, hayricks, farm products, and in general the protective umbrella of humans to thrive. As Indians progressively thought more of themselves and less about the fellow earthlings, and as the shrinking urban space became scarce, this symbiosis took a hit.

Man easily forsook the company of this diminutive bird for greater luxuries of life..

The follies of sparrow’s human dependency is discussed at length in an earlier post. The article details the main reasons for the habitat loss. It languishes how sparrows have dwindled only in affluent urban areas while they seem to thrive in a rural/impoverished setting. The main reason being the presence of old fashioned tiled and corniced houses along with readily available food grain discards.

Different populations of the same race — birds & animals alike, exhibit different behavior in different geographies. These intelligent beings quickly adapt to what’s best in the given context. They cannot complain about their Governments you see. Given this, comparing the same race of fauna in different geographical settings offers rare insights and possible clues to save it’s loss in an affected region.

Stitching two large leaves into a nest is a very typical feature for the ‘Tailor birds’ as indicative by their obvious naming. This is their standard nest. But under less favorable conditions and the absence of large leaved trees around, these intelligent birds build a cup-like nest in the fork of a shrub. This seemingly simple and innocuous adaptation is a big deal as far as these birds are concerned.

Doves build nests in thorny trees. It is a characteristic feature of these birds. But how many of doves have we seen build nests in thorny trees in India ? The Indian doves(or the pigeons in New York) have accustomed themselves to human settlements and have resorted to building nests under rafters, niches in the walls of abandoned buildings and other such convenient places  — all around human settlements.

The above quick examples show that in the same species there is a very varied change in nesting habits influenced by the surroundings. Now, let’s examine the same with regard to sparrows.

In the US, have you seen the sparrows enter houses ? I haven’t from my many visits. But sparrows in Indian homes was a common feature in urban areas before they went missing. The sparrows in Americas have been successful in nesting in shrubs and trees while their Indian counterparts were calling nooks, rafters and dilapidated buildings their home.

Newer buildings and houses deprive the sparrows the boarding they were used to. Even if a sparrow did find a nook and build a nest, it is sure to be taken care of by the curb-appeal conscious owners, thus limiting the nesting areas.

Foraging & perching, are equally important. This is one area where the US has a distinct advantage. A great majority of their back yards have a bird friendly garden. Bird feeders are provided, bird-baths are stood up and bird nests are placed. The buildings with their gabled roofs, sidings and storm water drain pipes provide a nesting site for the birds in less affluent neighborhoods where a bird friendly garden may not be present.

Abundant wide open space, a rarity in urban India is another major factor that works to US’s advantage. These open spaces are not dumped with garbage laced with waste and hostile chemicals, a common feature here. These wide open spaces support good insect populations, which in turn is a basic requirement for the sparrows to bring up a clutch. Bird feed is readily available in the grocery stores to help residents attract birds thus adding a good source of quality food apart from what is readily available in open spaces and abundant metro-parks.

Noise does not seem to affect Indian sparrows. I have found sparrows in India thriving inside Industrial sheds and rice mills where the noise level is not only very high but persistent as well. So the quieter American surroundings is not that big of a contributory factor in their thriving there. Man on the other hand, is.

In short, what I am trying to highlight is that US has a more bird-friendly approach to home gardens than India. The Wild Life Federation promotes a bird-friendly garden and certifies that as a ‘Back-Yard Habitat’. There is Peoples and administration involvement. Contrast that with the fact that the absence of the sparrow has hardly been noticed by a majority of people here and you see a clear reason for our loss. Add to that, US has money to spare while we in the developing world have more pressing needs to tend to.

Re-introduction of a any species into their former habitat is very specialized program. The Indian Cheetah has been missing for the last 60 years. The last Cheetah in the wild was shot in 1950. The Cheetah became extinct in India because of over hunting by the erstwhile royalty. Add to this, the Cheetahs are not very prolific breeders. The Indian Cheetahs became extinct because of over-hunting and not due to a habitat loss. Now, there are talks of re-introducing the captive bred Cheetahs to its former habitat. The habitat is in-tact. It only needs a re-introduction and settlement program. That is a tall order in itself..

In the case of our dear sparrow, this is not the case. We are faced with a habitat destruction. So to think of re-introduction, the habitat has to be made congenial and conducive. Is this a small task? It needs a lot of people participation. Re-creating a habitat involves dealing with human dwellings and human interaction with the birds, the menace of pet-cats, wanton killing of these birds, creating a bird friendly garden, providing bird-feeders, making bird-baths et al. This is no small task. Not that it is impossible; it just needs a lot of  involved and committed people. It is this willingness to once again see and hear the sparrows that can really make a difference.

But do we have what it takes ?  Do we miss this gentle creature enough to work for it ? If not, we will have to contend with a “The Sparrows Once Flew Over My Nest“. A nest that I wish to share with them no more and we can rename them as such : “House Sparrow” .

Photos :

• http://www.flickr.com/photos/hamed/237206898/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/chuckthephotographer/3295521748/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/pheanixphotos/3614948431/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/pheanixphotos/3614948431/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/araswami/564823859/
• http://www.flickr.com/photos/poplinre/624115395/

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