WEAVER BIRDS BAYA RETURN TO THE SUB-CITY

Source: City Plus (Dainik Jagran)

Ever seen the weaver bird Baya? If not go to these beautiful birds weaving nests in the vacant plot near Dwarka Court in front of Sector 10 Metro station. Environmentalists are surprised that the Baya birds have started weaving nests in the same patch of land where they did last year.

Even bird watcher and nature lover from Dwarka, Ramesh Chand, finds it surprising that when such birds are not seen even in forest areas, green areas and parks, they are seen in such a populated area near a metro station.

About the birds returning to the same land after one year, programme officer of Bombay Natural History Society, CR Naveen, said, "Bayas are birds which migrate locally. They usually return to the nesting sites of the previous year. They may or may not be the same birds that nested previously in the same area. But it is a very good sign that the land has become their favourite nesting place."

Centre manager of BNHS Sajeev TK said, "The weaver bird is one of the master architects of nature. The male birds play a major role in the site selection and making the nest. The females are invited by the males to inspect the half built nest. If they find the nest suitable they will join hands and complete the nest. Otherwise the half built nests are abandoned by the males and they try their luck with new nests. Thus the males with good nest-making skills alone will be able to breed and produce next generation. This also accounts for the large number of half built nests in a nesting site."

Senior Scientific Officer of Environment, Delhi Government  BC Sabat, said, "Baya birds coming again to the same land is a good sign in favour of environment. People should go and see them to feel their importance. Parents and schools should take their kids to that particular land to show these rare birds. Involvement of community is the only way to save them as it would create pressure on the authority to make them feel the importance of fauna in the sub-city." 

Important facts

The Baya's scientific name is Ploceus philippinus. Flocks of these birds are found in grasslands, cultivated areas, scrub and secondary growth and they are best known for their hanging retort shaped nests woven from leaves. These nest colonies are usually found on thorny trees or palm fronds and the nests are often built near water or hanging over water where predators cannot reach easily. 

it is a very good sign that the land has become baya birds’ favourite nesting place.

CR Naveen

Programme officer, Bombay Natural History Society

                                                                                                                               — Akhilesh Pandey

Save Birds Save nature

Online dash to save the vanishing sparrow

Saswati Mukherjee TNN 

Source: Times of IndiaIf you have been missing the once-familiar chirping of sparrows around your house, here’s your chance to contribute to finding out why this common bird seems to have disappeared from cities across India. 

A two-month-long online survey called Citizen Sparrow was launched on Sunday, inviting responses from people on questions such as when they last sighted the bird and details about the area they live in. The survey can be taken at www.citizensparrow.in. 

“It is an elementary step to gather information. We are encouraging people to report their experience, be it a drastic drop in sparrow count or a sudden spurt. These inputs will give us valuable leads to compile pan-India data,” said Suhel Quader, evolutionary ecologist at the National Centre for Biological Sciences. 

The environment ministry-funded survey is being undertaken by the Bombay Natural History Society, with the help of 10 partner organizations such as the Indian Bird Conservation Network and Nature Conservation Foundation. The disappearance of the house sparrow — so widespread till recently that the Chinese Communist Party declared it a pest in 1958 and asked people to exterminate it — remains a great modern mystery worldwide. In the UK, sparrows are estimated to have declined from over 12 million to 6 million since the mid-70s. 

While in Europe the decline has been documented and studied, there has beenno major study in India so far. BNHS seeks to change that with its current initiative.

“The survey would give us the first baseline data about distribution of sparrows in the country. This would form the basis for futher research,” said Karthik K, project coordinator. 

The objective of involving ordinary citizens rather than experts comes with a purpose. “Almost everyone knows about sparrows. It is an attempt to reach out to people, asking them to share their stories and their understanding of these birds,” said Quader. 

Participants in the survey would be asked to mark locations on a map and give information about their sparrow sightings, including sightings from the last year and even earlier. Such information will enable a comparison of sparrows in different places, and this is expected to point to particular threats or problems. The findings are intended to feed detailed studies investigating causes of decline and potential measures for the recovery of sparrow populations. 

Asad Rahmani, director, BNHS, said, “The sparrow is an indicator of a trend. A number of other birds have also declined sharply in the past few decades. We hope the survey would provide more clues about why these birds are disappearing.” 

WHERE HAVE THEY GONE? 

Possible reasons for decline in sparrow numbers in cities 

Pesticides kill soft-bodied insects which sparrow chicks feed on. Pesticide in grains, food for adult birds, may also be contributing to decline.

Modern housing leaves no space for birds to nest Manicured lawns do not allow grass to seed. Seeds attract insects.

General decline in insect habitats like gardens 

Radiation from mobile towers could be affecting birds, although studies aren’t conclusive