Experts Call For Action To Save The Vanishing Sparrows Of Mumbai
City schools and experts unite on World Sparrow Day to protect Mumbai’s fading house sparrows.
Published : March 20, 2026 at 8:44 PM IST
Mumbai: Sparrows eat pests that damage crops, but they also eat seeds. But on balance, they play a positive role. We should worry about the huge decline in the sparrow population.
On World Sparrow Day, one would recall the "massacre of sparrows" in China, officially known as the Eliminate Sparrows campaign that was a state-sponsored mass killing of the Eurasian tree sparrow. Launched by Mao Zedong in 1958 as part of the Great Leap Forward, it aimed to increase grain production by eliminating "pests" and birds that ate seeds.
The campaign resulted in an ecological catastrophe that contributed to the Great Chinese Famine, which killed an estimated 15 to 45 million people.
In Mumbai this year, Pramod Mane, president of the 'Pakshi Mitra' (Bird Friends) organisation, took the initiative to teach students of Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj School in Dharavi to build sparrow nests.
"The task of saving these sparrows is a collective responsibility that belongs to us all," he asserts. Over the past few years, a noticeable decline in the sparrow population has been observed in Mumbai and the rapidly expanding urban areas surrounding it.
"In such a scenario, citizens and the administrative authorities must collaborate to devise and implement effective measures to save 'Chiu Tai'—the beloved sparrow character from children's stories," remarked Mane.
During the event in Dharavi, the school's students came together to participate in the nest-building activity. Mane provided guidance and instruction to the students throughout the process.
"In this modern era of mobile technology, radiation has caused a massive decline in the sparrow population," he fears.
"In Mumbai, this decline was estimated to be as high as 70 to 80 per cent. Today, sparrows are rarely seen within the city of Mumbai; while they can still be spotted in rural areas, they have all but vanished from urban landscapes", added Mane
According to Mane, the sparrow is a 'domestic' bird — one that lives in the vicinity of humans.
"Without human proximity, sparrows cannot survive in the wild. Consequently, sparrows seek out human homes to build their nests. Sparrow nests are typically found within window frames, door frames, or in a quiet corner inside a house. However, with the rise of massive modern buildings—which often feature sliding windows—it has become increasingly difficult for sparrows to construct their nests. This is precisely why the sparrow population in Mumbai is on the decline," he explained.
Sparrow researcher Vijay Avasare stated, "We can certainly contribute to the effort to save sparrows. We can help them survive by simply placing a small bowl of water and a bowl of grains outside our homes. Such simple acts will go a long way in helping to boost the sparrow population, which has already been dwindling."
"The administration must ensure that urban redevelopment projects that impact sparrow habitats are not sanctioned. If initiatives such as 'Bird Galleries' were to be implemented across Mumbai, they would undoubtedly prove beneficial for the conservation of sparrows," said Mane.
Avasare added, "Eight species of sparrows are found in India. The sparrow found in Mumbai is known as the 'House Sparrow.' Although it is difficult to state exactly by how much the sparrow population has declined, given that no census has been conducted for several years, it is nevertheless evident that the number of sparrows in Mumbai has decreased significantly."
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