20 March- World Sparrow Day 2020
On March 20, each year World Sparrow Day is observed.World Sparrow Day is observed to raise awareness about the bird sparrow and to conserve it. Sparrow is a common bird in India but it has been reached on the verge of extinction in urban areas.
The first World Sparrow Day was celebrated in 2010 in different parts of the world. The Nature Forever Society of Indian environmentalist Mohammad Dilawar started this initiative in view of the rapid decline in its population.
According to a 2018 report of the Royal Society of London, the bond between humans and sparrows is 11,000 years old. The study said that similar adaptation started through agriculture in three different species – dogs, domestic sparrows and humans.
Status of Sparrow in India
According to a recent survey by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the number of other birds has increased in the last 40 years, but sparrow numbers have decreased by 60% in India. There are 26 species of sparrow worldwide while 5 of them are found in India.
Background
World Sparrow Day was first observed in 2010 with the efforts of Mohammad Dilawar, president of the Nature Forever Society. Since then, on March 20,every year this day is celebrated. The purpose of this is to bring awareness among the people towards the protection of sparrow.
Importance of Sparrow
Sparrow plays an important role in environmental balance. Sparrows feed their children with insects called alpha and catworm. These insects are extremely dangerous for crops. They kill the leaves of crops and destroy them. Sparrow also eats insects that appear during monsoon season .