The first sight of the new dawn unfolds with almost breathtaking views. The morning dew sits fresh on the leaves. The temperatures provide a brief respite from the oncoming oven-like heat waves and the sky is a thousand different shades of yellow and orange.But something is not quite right.The song of the birds is no longer the sound of dawn. Horn-blowing cars have replaced them in most urban metropolises. Now that it is gone its absence is a stark reminder. The chirps you didn’t know you were hearing, those ambient sounds that were always there, suddenly became quiet.The house sparrow has not gone extinct. It has simply been pushed out. From our balconies, from our memories, from our cities. And the places it’s gone tell a story we don’t want to hear.Sparrowhawk decline is a global issue, with BirdLife International reporting that sparrowhawk numbers in Europe have declined by approximately 64% since the 1970s. The British Trust for Ornithology estimates that the sparrow population in London alone declined by 71 percent between 1994 and 2002. This decline has also been seen in North America and parts of Asia, with the largest declines occurring in urban and suburban areas.India is also not untouched by this extinction and the reason behind it is really no mystery. In Andhra Pradesh alone the sparrow population declined by 80 percent. In Kerala, Gujarat and Rajasthan it declined by 20 percent. In coastal areas the decline was sharper, ranging from 70 to 80 percent. In parts of Thiruvananthapuram, where volunteers had observed small flocks of six to eight sparrows by 1998, they had disappeared without a trace by 2003. The reason behind this defeat is really no mystery.
architecture of absence
Walking through the narrow streets of old cities, you can find corners and places where the sparrow still feels comfortable calling its home. Hidden in those parts of the old city that still respect the sacredness of its appearance.As cities change and skyscrapers pollute the skylines of metropolises, trees and parks are uprooted to make way for overcrowded infrastructure, the sparrow also moves out. It leaves behind a home that it no longer recognizes.Bird researcher Sujan Chatterjee puts it bluntly: “Modern architecture plays a decisive role here. Old houses, with their ventilators, tiled roofs and small gaps, offer natural nesting sites. Today’s glass and concrete structures are sealed, smooth and inaccessible.”The old, spacious buildings have been replaced by matchless flats. Hedges are being replaced by iron fences. The gardens have been paved over, leaving no soil for the sparrows to bathe in. The flow of electromagnetic waves from criss-crossing cable wires and cellphone towers injures the sparrows, causing irritation and reducing their reproductive capacity.The bird that once nested in every balcony, that woke generations of Indians with its incessant chirping, that was so common as to be almost invisible – that bird is now a marker of class. Its presence or absence tells you more about the neighborhood than any real estate brochure.Sparrows need three things: a place to build a nest, food to eat, and water to drink. It is a relatively sedentary bird, traveling no more than a kilometer or two in search of food. It prefers thatched houses and bungalows rather than concrete structures like flats to build its nests.In older neighborhoods, buildings naturally provide nesting sites. Buildings in the new neighborhoods have been sealed. Glass facade and smooth concrete, no ceiling, no gaps and no cracks. Air conditioning units are installed in ways that block rather than create smaller spaces. Modern architecture is architecture that keeps birds away.
Why do sparrows leave modern cities?
The question of food is equally clear. Sparrows eat seeds, grains and insects. On average, each sparrow eats about 1,000 caterpillars per year. As Chatterjee says, “Increased use of pesticides has reduced the population of insects, which are important for feeding the sparrowhawks. Clean, uncluttered urban landscapes, while visually appealing, have depleted the resources that once sustained the sparrow.” The decline in insect numbers is a boon for your home but a curse for the sparrow.Even the water equation has changed. There is water everywhere in old neighborhoods. Open drains, dripping pipes, open buckets, bird bath in the courtyard. Sparrows never have to fly far to drink water. In new neighborhoods, drains have been covered and pipes no longer leak much. Water is controlled, controlled, cleaned. It’s good for hygiene but terrible for sparrows.
hidden killer
The introduction of unleaded petrol may also play a role. Dennis Summers-Smith’s theory suggests that unleaded fuel, considered environmentally friendly, contains harmful byproducts. The fuel uses methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) as an anti-knocking agent. Along with the by-products of combustion, it also kills small insects. Although adult sparrows can survive without insects in their diet, they need them to feed their young.Air pollution is another factor. Rising pollution levels in metropolitan cities indicate that the air is becoming dangerously toxic – for birds and humans alike. Since sparrows primarily eat grains, their decline could also mean that the grains we eat contain greater amounts of pesticides than before.Pigeons have become aggressive competitors. They take over nesting sites and often damage sparrow nests. The increasing population of crows poses an additional threat. Unlike crows, which have adapted to thrive on human waste, sparrows cannot survive on garbage. They depend on specific ecological conditions: access to seeds, insects for their young, and secure nesting sites. The world operates with the philosophy of survival of the fittest at every level.Invasive species such as starlings also compete with sparrows for food. These birds often have a more flexible diet, occupy urban areas more easily, and compete with sparrows for habitat and resources.Increased predation by cats and competition for food by other species including pigeons, crows and mynas have made survival even more difficult.This pattern is evident across India. In older, traditionally built, mixed-use neighborhoods, where people live, work, and trade in the same streets, sparrows still survive. These are often poorer, more crowded, less “planned” areas of the city. Real estate developers are desperate to redevelop them.In new, affluent, gated, clean neighborhoods, where houses are set back from the road, where every building is sealed, where every open space is sanitized, sparrows have disappeared.
Why do sparrows matter?
Sparrows aren’t just good neighbors. They play an important role in the ecosystem. They consume insects, which controls pests and reduces the need for pesticides. A new study indicates that the loss of birds may contribute to the spread of diseases to humans. High bird diversity appears to protect humans from exposure to West Nile virus, which is spread by mosquitoes. Where there are more birds to bite, mosquitoes will bite proportionally fewer people, partially reducing the chance of transmission or spread of infection.The spread of diseases is a worrying threat due to the decline in sparrow populations.In Hyderabad, a grassroots effort has begun to show what targeted intervention can achieve. The ‘Bring Back Sparrows’ campaign, launched in 2016 by the Animal Warriors Conservation Society, was started with a simple idea: if natural nesting places are disappearing, why not create them?Over the past decade, the organization has installed more than 1,600 nest boxes in areas like Aminpur, Gachibowli, Dilsukh Nagar and Alwal. In addition, more than 1,000 nest boxes are distributed to homes, institutions, and community groups each year. About 20,000 sparrows have returned to these areas.
In Mumbai, Mohammed Dilarao started the box initiative, placing small wooden boxes on trees that sparrows could use as nests. They also placed small feeders with grains, insects, and water to help the sparrows settle.In Chennai, the Koodugal Trust has involved school children in making nests for sparrows. Between 2020 and 2024, the Trust built more than 10,000 nests. School children build small wooden houses which act as shelter and provide food for the sparrows. Due to this effort, the number of sparrows in the area has increased significantly.In Mysore, Karnataka, the ‘Early Bird’ initiative introduces children to birds through a library, activity kits and trips to villages for bird watching. These learning efforts are making children aware and knowledgeable about the role of sparrows and other birds in the ecosystem.Rajya Sabha member Brijlal has installed 50 nests in his house. Sparrows come here every year to lay eggs. He takes care of them and provides them with food. The Prime Minister appreciated his work Narendra ModiWho highlighted the role of such individual efforts in conservation.
what needs to change
Chatterjee believes the answer lies less in major interventions and more in moderation.He explains, “We often say that sparrows have disappeared. But instead of asking why, we should ask what kind of place we are creating.”He suggests that the solution is to allow nature to return. “Keep certain parts of your garden neat and tidy. Let it grow. Leave some areas undisturbed. It’s not difficult to reintroduce animals, but you have to leave room for them.”“Beauty and habitat don’t always go together,” says Chatterjee. “If everything is cut down, cleared and controlled, there will be nothing left for wildlife.”At a policy level, he suggests bird-friendly infrastructure. “This could start with something as simple as rethinking our roadways, planting native bird-friendly shrubs and reducing plastic use. Birds and butterflies need dense bushes and shrubs as hiding and nesting places. If we keep pruning, cleaning and manicured everything in the name of beautification, we risk eradicating the habitats they depend on.“You do not need any government scheme to save sparrows. Leave a bowl of water on your balcony, let a corner of your garden go wild, plant some native plants instead of another exotic ornamental plant, place a nest box where there can be an air conditioner. Throw out some weed seeds from time to time.The sparrow has not gone very far. This place is waiting.The dawn is still beautiful, the dew is still freezing, and the sky is still ablaze with orange and yellow. We can’t silence the horns, but we can make room for chirping again.
