It can be devastating to be away at work and come back to find your home razed. That’s the price Pune’s birds pay for choosing to stay in a city whose green spaces are making way for concrete jungles; their nests ugly blots against the steel and glass.
But now, a few bird lovers and ornithologists are doing something about the birds’ lost homes. They have come up with a plan to put up man-made nests at public gardens in the city.
To start with, about 60 ready-made nests made with bamboo and earthen pots have been put up at two gardens – Chittranjan Park and Katraj Park. “We plan to place at least 1,000 more such nests at various gardens in the city over the next few days,” B.V. Jagjhap, PMC Garden Department official, told HT. The officials expect the birds to move into these nests, which, they said, would encourage them to stay on in the city and check untimely migration. The city’s rapid urbanisation has upset the birds and the birdwatchers. “In fact, we have not seen sparrows for the past few days,” said Pande.
The bird lovers sought the Pune Municipal Corporation’s help for the project. “During my visits to various countries in Europe and Asia, I found ready-made nests on trees. I decided to push the PMC to do something similar,” said Satish Pande, a bird expert. Pande has 15 such nests in his own garden and says the birds love their new homes.
{{/usCountry}}The bird lovers sought the Pune Municipal Corporation’s help for the project. “During my visits to various countries in Europe and Asia, I found ready-made nests on trees. I decided to push the PMC to do something similar,” said Satish Pande, a bird expert. Pande has 15 such nests in his own garden and says the birds love their new homes.
{{/usCountry}}Yashwant Khaire, garden department chief, PMC, said the “nests would be put up at a height of at least 10 feet so that the eggs and the chicks are safe. We have not identified the trees”. The nests have been made keeping in mind the size of birds like mynas, sparrows, hornbills and parakeets.