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Concern over decline in house sparrows

By CORRESPONDENT

MIRZA, April 1 � With the number of thatched houses decreasing rapidly, the sighting of house sparrow, an otherwise prolific bird species, is becoming rarer.

In the rural landscape a decade ago, when dwelling houses with thatched roof were very common, the flock of house sparrows were an integral part of every rural household. With thatched houses being replaced by tin-roof on concrete-roof houses, these parasitic birds are facing crisis as far as building of their nest is concerned.

�Gone are the days when house sparrows used to build nests in the overhanging parts of the thatched roof,� informed Ajit Das, a cultivator. Traditional granaries, once the pride of the farming community, used to be constructed in open areas where flocks of sparrows were seen devouring stored grain. To avoid pilferage of stored grain, particularly paddy, the granaries are increasingly being shifted to safe places leading to food crisis for this common bird species.

Expressing concern over the decline of this bird species, Ranjit Konwar, ACF, emphasised the need of population estimation in order to know the population dynamics of this bird species.

Husk being a very essential commodity in the broiler farming sector, the farmers supplied the same on a daily basis before accumulation and consequently, flocks of house sparrows, which used to be seen devouring husks, today barely make an appearance.

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