Endangered sparrow now state bird of Delhi

In a move that will put the focus back on the declining population of the bird, the sparrow has been declared the state bird of Delhi.

In a move that will put the focus back on the declining population of the bird, the sparrow has been declared the state bird of Delhi.

HT Image

Chief minister Sheila Dikshit, who made the announcement, also launched a ‘Rise for the Sparrow’ campaign, India’s largest conservation movement which will work towards increasing the bird’s population.

The movement will incorporate ‘Common Bird Monitoring’ — a programme launched to save birds in the school curriculum.

As part of the drive, bird-boxes will be arranged in schools and offices where birds can set up home.

Mohammed Dilawar of the Nature Forever Society, the partner organisation, said that the society had been working on the issue for more than a year and finally conservation of the birds will get an impetus through the movement.

Dilawar said that due to reduction of open spaces, the birds had been declining in number and there was an urgent need to reverse the decline.

“The project seeks to come up with simple solutions that will not involve a lot of time and resources but at the same time have a significant impact on sparrow conservation of India,” he said.

Citizens who want to get involved in the cause can register on www.cbmi.in to monitor sparrow and other common birds around their homes, offices, and schools.

“The programme includes participation of citizens because without their support, it won’t be successful,” said Dikshit. She added that the ‘Rise for the Sparrow’ campaign would become a citizen movement like the World Sparrow Day.