The dwindling number of sparrows in urban areas, as a phenomenon, is not new.

In Europe,
when the numbers of sparrows went down drastically a few years back, almost as much as by
85 percent, it rang quite a few alarm bells. But here in India, although the matter has been
reported, nothing concrete has been done to tackle what seems to be a sparrow crisis. The
main point of concern is that there is no data or study on the population of sparrows in India.
"But by sheer observation one can say that it has," Nikhil Devasar of Delhi Bird Group, an
interactive group of bird lovers. One of the reasons cited for the disappearing number of
sparrows is unleaded fuel, which is believed to be eco-friendly. The by-products of this fuel
kill small insects, which the young sparrows feed on. While the older sparrows can survive
without the insects, the younger ones need them for survival. "Another very important reason
for the disappearing number of sparrows from the urban areas is the change in the
architecture of the houses. Earlier, these birds used to build their nests beneath the tiled or
thatched roofs the houses used to generally have. "But now, with changing architecture and
steel roofs, these birds have lost their nesting space. Also, the birds were used to pecking at
the grain in the backyard of the houses where people clean the paddy or wheat. With
changing lifestyle, that has changed as well. Traditional norms and practices for conservation
of neighborhood forest and common land are also diminishing, although certain rural and
tribal communities continue to safeguard their biological resource base even at the cost of
their livelihood and sustenance Loss of habitats and over exploitation have led to depletion of
genetic diversity of several wild animals and cultivated plants.