World Sparrow Day – 20th March
World Sparrow Day – 20th March
World Sparrow Day, observed annually on March 20, is a day to raise awareness of the protection of sparrows. The first World Sparrow Day was organized in 2010.The Nature Forever Society of India and the Eco-Sys Action Foundation of France came up with the idea of World Sparrow Day.
The sparrow population is affected by factors such as increased noise pollution, loss of habitat, predation etc. World Sparrow Day is an opportunity to examine the close relationship between sparrows and humans and advocate for the conservation of these bird species.
Sparrow, any of a number of small, chiefly seed-eating birds having conical bills. The name sparrow is most firmly attached to birds of the Old World family Passeridae (orderPasseriformes), particularly to the house sparrow (Passer domesticus) that is so common in temperate North America and Europe, but also to many New World members of the Emberizidae.
The house sparrow is one of the first birds that most of us recall from our childhood days. They used to reside in colonies in nearly every house in the neighborhood, as well as public locations like bus bays and railway stations, surviving on food grains and tiny worms. For many of us, the house sparrow evokes many wonderful memories. Unfortunately, these birds are fast becoming extinct, and their populations are rapidly declining. The house sparrow is strongly associated with human habitation, and can live in urban or rural settings. Though found in widely varied habitats and climates, it typically avoids extensive woodlands, grasslands, and deserts away from human development.
Sparrows are omnivores and eat whatever foods are available. They feed mostly on the seeds of grains and weeds, buds, berries, and fruits such as grapes and cherries. They also commonly eat insects, mollusks, and crustaceans where available, earthworms, and even vertebrates such as lizards and frogs.
“I Love Sparrows” is the theme for World Sparrow Day. It was inspired by the hope that more people will recognize the importance of the human-sparrow interaction. The theme’s major goal is to emphasize people’s passion for sparrows and the seemingly tiny things they do to make a great difference in the birds’ lives.
– Source: Internet –