World Sparrow Day

International sparrow day is also famously known as the house sparrow day that is celebrated every year on 20th March to raise awareness about the endangered species of house sparrows. This is an international initiative that is taken individually by many nations that collaborated with the Nature Forest Society of India in association with the Eco Says Action Foundation of France has initially developed the concept of the international world sparrow day. The house sparrow day is designated towards the house sparrows and other similar species of birds that are found in the urban environment and the threats to their population facing in today’s scenario.

The tiny house sparrow that is scientifically termed as Passer Domesticus is one of the most common birds that everyone in their childhood has commonly noticed. Their nests are seen almost everywhere in urban locations starting from the house rooftop, balconies, to bus bays and train stations. They used to flock together in form of colonies and survived primarily on grains and small worms and insects. The bird watchers and the ornithologists have established the association of house sparrow with humans is stretched back to centuries. They even recall that no other birds have such a strong association with humans like that of the house sparrows. They have always been a source of evoking fond and happy memories and thus they have been mentioned in folklores and songs time and again. 

Sparrows and Their Importance

The house sparrows, just like other animals places were once found in abundance but unfortunately, their numbers have declined at a massive rate in the last few decades. The species are endangered as a wide range of their natural habitat is also threatened in today’s time. Though there have been numerous reasons that are being discussed by many bird experts and zoologists but the slow and noticeable decline of the population of sparrows has been marked as one of the biggest mysteries of recent times. The major reasons that have been enlisted by the experts are the decline in their natural habitat due to massive deforestation, scarcity of food grains and insects to feed the young sparrows and abrupt increase in the microwaves and radio waves with the increase of the mobile networks and establishment of a large number of mobile towers. 

Mohammad Dilawar, an Indian conservationist who started working to conserve the house sparrows in Nasik and was eventually listed as one of the “Heros of Environment” by the Times magazine in the year 2018, was the founder of Nature Forever Society. The idea of world sparrow day came up as an informal discussion among the members of the Nature Forever Society was taking place. The main aim of celebrating this day is dedicated to the house sparrow and other similar species who are on the verge of extinction, to propagate the mission of conservation and to celebrate and appreciate the beauty of some of the common biodiversities that are taken for granted.  In the year 2010, the first world sparrow day was celebrated in various countries around the world.  The world sparrow day is celebrated around the world in many ways, for instance, various kinds of activities, painting competition and sparrow possession is being conducted along with the interaction with media around the world. 

World sparrow day is celebrated with a broader spectrum as it provides a platform for the conservationists who are remotely working towards conservation of the house sparrow and other similar species can form a network, collaborate and exchange ideas take place. It brings a common meeting ground for all the people around the world to join hands in bringing a force that plays an important role in advocacy and spreading awareness about the conservation and protection of the common biodiversities that belong to the lower conservation status. 

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World Sparrow Day History

While on a casual discussion over tea in the Nature Forest Society of India, the idea of observing a day for house sparrows caught the attention of people present in the discussion. They all thought it is one of the brilliant ideas to celebrate world sparrow day as it will help in gaining attention on a serious situation of diminishing numbers of house sparrows and their similar kinds. This will also help in gaining potential attention towards the deteriorating conditions of such similar biodiversities. Thus this day was a marking to promote the conservation of the house sparrows and other similar bird species along with the celebration of their intrinsic features an age-old association with human beings as nature doesn’t come with a guarantee for a lifetime.  

With this idea, the Nature Forest Society of India started carrying out discussions and forwarding the idea of observing world sparrow day to the other conservationist societies, like-minded people, and other such organizations nationally and internationally. Most of such organizations collaborated with the Nature Forest Society of India and agreed to promote the conservation of common biodiversities that belong to the lower conservation status by celebrating the “world sparrow day” in their parts of the world. Many of the organizations s promised are already promoting and organizing events that are associated with the promotion of the common biodiversities. Also, a website is launched for the same purpose so that many such organizations can collaborate and come across one another to spread this day of awareness fruitfully to every country in the world.       

World Sparrow Day Theme

The world sparrow theme 2020 was thought to celebrate the association and bonding of these species with humans for 10,000 years in harmony. World sparrow day is being organized every year since 2010 and a theme is set for each year for all the countries that are celebrating “world sparrow day” on 20th March. The theme for the year 2020 was “I love sparrow”. This theme was decided with the hope that more and more people around the globe with associate with various events and campaigns to promote the need for the conservation of house sparrows and other similar biodiversities. As everyone has experienced a love bond in their childhood with such bird species, the theme was designed to bring out such beautiful memories to encourage people to save such common biodiversities that belong to the lower conservation status.  

World Sparrow Day Awards

On March 20, 2011, the Nature Forest Society of India organized an award ceremony in Ahemadabad, Gujrat. This ceremony was in favour of honouring those who are working towards conservation of the common biodiversities that belong to the lower conservation status and contributing selflessly towards the conservation of the environment. In 2013, one of the key facilitators named Sustainuance magazine joined hands with the Nature forest Society to support sparrow awards. 

The List of Winners of the Sparrow Award in the Year 2014 Are:-

1. Jag Mohan Garg

2. M. Saud and N. Sehezad

3. Jal Grahan Kameti, Piplantri   

The List of Winners of the Sparrow Award in the Year 2013 Are:-

1. Saleem Hameedi, wild photographer

2. Aabid Surti, Head and litterateur of an NGO named Drop Dead

3. Jayant Govind Dukhade, Mumbai Police

The List of Winners of the Sparrow Award in the Year 2012 Are:-

1. Ramita Kondepudi

2. Dilsher khan

3. Mahatma Gandhi Ashramshala

The List of Winners of the Sparrow Award in the year 2011 Are:-

1. L Shyamlal

2. Narendra Singh Chaudhari

3. Bhavin Singh

4. The sparrow company

Interesting Facts About Sparrows

Some of the interesting facts about sparrows are:

1. The sparrows are sexually dimorphic. That is there is a difference in appearance in the male and the female sparrow. Males have red backs and black bib whereas the brown backs with stripes are identified as females. Female sparrows are slighter shorter than male sparrows.

2. They prefer to live in flocks and colonies.

3. They can swim at a faster pace if they sense any danger around them.

4. They are protective and not territorial in nature. Therefore they can build nests anywhere they feel protected.

5. The male sparrows in order to attract female counterparts usually tend to build nests.

6. The house sparrow belongs to the family of Passiradae.

7. The house sparrows have a strong association with humans and thus can stay in both rural or urban settings made by humans.

8. The average lifespan of a wild sparrow is nearly 10 years.