World Sparrow Day

In News

• Every year on March 20 is celebrated as World Sparrow Day.

About

• World Sparrow Day was initiated by the Nature Forever Society of India in collaboration with the Eco-Sys Action Foundation of France. 
• The first World Sparrow Day was celebrated on March 20, 2010, and was aimed at creating awareness about the decline in the sparrow population and the need for their conservation.

Theme for World Sparrow Day 2023 

• The theme for World Sparrow Day 2023 is a continuation of the previous year’s theme i.e. “I love Sparrows,” which emphasises the role of individuals and communities in sparrow conservation.

Sparrow

• About: 
  • A sparrow is a member of the genus Passer. They are small passerine birds which belong to the family Passeridae.
  • The genus has about 30 species around the world. The best known of these is the house sparrow, Passer domesticus.
• House Sparrow
  • Scientific Name: Passer domesticus. 
  • Characteristics: It is a small brown-coloured bird, not bigger than a tennis ball, with black streaks on its back.

• Habitat: It is a social species, found in groups of eight to 10, chirping and chattering to communicate with each other. 
  • It is known to nest in buildings, finding crevices and holes in walls, or at best, using the bird houses and nest boxes put out by humans in their gardens.
• Distribution: It is widespread across the world, inhabiting every continent, except Antarctica, China and Japan. It is native to Eurasia and North Africa.
• Threats: Habitat destruction, pollution caused by microwave towers and pesticides.
• Conservation Status: The house sparrow is listed as the Least Concern on the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
  • In 2012, the house sparrow was declared the state bird of New Delhi as part of a massive campaign to save and raise awareness about the species.

PIB