|
|
|
Sparrows - Once Abundant Now Extinct
The word “sparrow” nowadays conjures up the image of the chirpy Captain Jack Sparrow more often than that of the endangered bird. Such is the predicament of our age! Till sometime ago, I often wondered why sparrows do not share our roofs anymore; why their nests have vanished and crevices are empty. The answer is - “sparrows are on the road to extinction in large towns and cities” according to world's leading experts on the species. For a bird lover, early mornings must not be the same anymore without the chirping of sparrows. For them, silence of these small birds must be louder than the blaring sounds of the big city. Those of us who have grown up seeing sparrows infesting our houses are the last generations to record their existence. Soon, these birds will only be seen in text books and remembered as “small birds with grey and brown feathers”. And parents will no more be able teach their toddlers the difference between the plumage of a male and a female sparrow. One of the reasons why sparrows have disappeared is the “uncontrolled and unscientific proliferation of mobile phone towers”, says Prof. Zainudeen Pattazhy, Kerala Environmental Researchers Association (KERA). He also noted “factors like harmful insects, introduction of unleaded petrol, combustion of which produces highly toxic compounds like methyl nitrite, use of pesticides and destruction of open grasslands and mushrooming of bird unfriendly architecture [have also threatened] the existence of sparrows.” When they were abundant, we did not consider those insignificant creatures worth our attention. Now when their population is dangerously declining, we are forced to think about ways to help their colonies survive before they are wiped out altogether. It’s impossible to reverse the effects of the damage already caused or even to go back to the conventional ways of living. We urgently need to take measures to slow down the pace of their extinction. But, how many of us really care even if the one and only solution left is to protect their natural habitat? Although, we must discourage and if the situation demands even disallow deforestation and go to the extent of providing man-made shelters on trees, but these measures will only fail. They will fail and sparrows like innumerable other species of both flora and fauna be lost forever, because, self-absorbed people will not initiate a change in their lives to service a cause so miniscule. Studies galore reveal facts so shocking that we are left with no emotion but to bemoan the annihilation effected by the inadvertent actions of mankind. I do not wish to quote figures that will state the magnitude of damage either for all we will do is brood over it helplessly and do nothing counteractive. At this point, I am driven to passively believe in legends of cultures that consider sparrows and their nests in a house as harbinger of good luck and indicators of the presence of God. And a sparrow being hurt is an omen for future sadness. They clearly signal the retribution Man’s achievement will bring forth in form of Nature’s ferocity. For me personally, the extinction of this tiny bird stands to symbolize the Man’s great disregard for Nature’s abundance and benevolence. It is yet another reminder of a brutal conquest that leaves the land plundered, desecrated and barren. The question that we all need to ask ourselves is what contribution will I make to save the sparrow? I seem to be thinking of something rather cruel. Now that they are precious too, I wonder if I should commoditize them and bring pairs of them under our roofs in a cage and breed them. Oh! But, will they be available with bird sellers? Editor's note: Most articles submitted to Chillibreeze go through a selection process. Only 30 percent of submitted articles are accepted for publication on the Chillibreeze.com featured article list. All accepted articles are edited and proofread for glaring errors of punctuation and grammar. Sentence structure is changed in certain cases and sometimes, entire sections are rewritten. If you notice any errors that have slipped through the cracks, do let us know! (Email us at info at chillibreeze dot com). Chillibreeze's disclaimer: This is a contributed article and was published on Chillibreeze in July, 2011. The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not reflect the views of Chillibreeze as a company. Chillibreeze has a strict anti-plagiarism policy. Please contact us to report any copyright issues related to this article. The relevance of the facts and figures cited (if any) could change after a period of time. More on Chillibreeze.comRelated links: Bird Watching in the Pachmarhi region of India’s Madhya Pradesh Other popular articles on Chillibreeze: Social Media Monitoring – Listening to Your Audience
>> Read more articles written by Chillibreeze writers:
|
Urgent 24 Hour Editing Premium Services Products Presentation Tips Must Reads...
|
|
|
Copyright 2004 - 2013 Chillibreeze Solutions Pvt. Ltd. |
