There was once a time when sparrows could be spotted everywhere around the city of Bangalore, but today one has to search far and wide to spot this bird. The lack of sparrows in the city led the Biodiversity Conservation India Limited- Zero Emission Development (BCIL-ZED) Foundation to come up with the "Gubbi Goodu" campaign. Gubbi Goodu, which means sparrow house, is a campaign that was initiated by this Foundation in collaboration with the Zoo Authority of Karnataka to promote awareness about this bird as well as distribute specially designed sparrow houses to the residents of Bangalore, free of charge. BCIL-ZED develops environment friendly housing projects in the Bangalore and other cities.
Waiting for the sparrows to come home. Pic: Smit Zaveri
These little birds are known for bringing a balance in our ecosystems, keeping rodents and insects in check, scavenging waste and pollinating plants. Despite the benefits the Sparrows were branded as pests a few years ago and are now one of the most threatened birds in the world.
What is the root cause for the population of sparrows to decrease this drastically? Dr Harish Narayan, the Sr. Manager of BCIL says "one of the main reasons for sparrows to vanish is the lack of nesting space. Pollution, noise, electric wires, high rise buildings and towers have made their survival difficult."
The campaign was started on March 20th 2011, the World House Sparrow Day. All people have to do is visit the office of BCIL in Sadashiva Nagar and pick up their own sparrow houses. These houses can be hung on trees, kept in terraces and balconies and they make for great gifts too. Apart from houses, adopters can also pick up shrubs, seed balls and a small packet of grains as a token to facilitate nesting for the sparrows.
They have also come up with a free home delivery system, if the orders are placed in bulk for communities and complexes.
The campaign has been receiving a great response from many apartment complexes and the residents of Golden Blossom and Chaitanya Samarpan, Whitefield, will be picking up their sparrow houses this weekend.
With over 12,000 houses already delivered and new orders coming in everyday, Bangalore could get back its title as the haven for house sparrows soon. If you want to be the proud owner of a sparrow house, all you have to do is visit BCIL at #397, 13th cross, Sadashiva nagar, Bangalore, India- 560080 or call +91 84318 48224 for details on the project.⊕
i love to have them around again…
It is a very well known fact that some birds, plants are indicators of airpurity and water purity. Sparrows are known as indicators of air purity. If there is high levels of pullution they disappear. If the air gets pure they reappear. If you want sparrows to reappear then get rid of the air pollution in banaglaore. Green tree frogs and most frogs are indicators of purity of water. If the water is stagnant they die where as if the water is clean they appear. Just a mosquitos are indicators of stagnant water whihc is warm flies are inducators of unused organic matter, earthworms are indicators of healthy soils with good ogranic matter. If the soil is saline ot acidic or contaminated due to leaching of nitrates from the water table into aquifer then earthworms disapper. dig about 6 inches of soil in your garden if there are earthworms your soil is healthy if not it has problems usually contamination or waterlogging. If you have gum trees in your ares check some leaves for blackness. If they are blackspotted then the pollution is high in your area. Nature has many such indicators if only human beings look see and learn.
hello ! I like your Sparrow Love & Save the Sparrow Project. If you have Face Book A/c then pls. Add Jagat Kinkhabwala ID . so we can work jointly
Thanks
Ritesh
Ahmedabad – Gujarat
Rinr Agri & Rinr Infra
I am senior citizen, art director turned photographer. My interests travel, nature and photography. I stay away from city on outskirts. I have small cottage with green around. I keep water in the garden and many seasonal birds come and drink and take bath, it is very pleasant to see them. I am missing sparrows very much. After reading your article Gubbi Gudu ‘Homecoming for Sparrows’ I am interested to have two or three sparrow houses, I hope the Sparrow will come. I will be happy any one from you office can deliver these sparrow houses.
I would like to know if there is any website where I can order sparrow houses online?
I just love these birds, as kids i remember sticking biscuit boxes after making holes big enough for these boards to nest on the balcony wall. And for years they nested there, now too I do the same but do not see a single sparrow, but sun birds, black robins nest in my balcony, bulbuls, mynas also visit my garden for a small bath. But I wish for a sparrow too.