This Monday, March 20, is World Sparrow Day. Established in India by the Nature Forever Society, World Sparrow Day was originally intended as a day to focus on the fate of the House Sparrow. Though much maligned in this country, House Sparrows are experiencing steep and mysterious declines throughout their native ranges in Asia, North Africa, and Europe. The day was quickly extended to focus on the conservation of common birds and celebrate the beauty of the biodiversity to be found within the human landscape.
One of the central tenets of conservation is to “keep common birds common” – the idea being that declines in common species are a danger sign of particularly worrying environmental disruption. Many people take birds like Blue Jays, Robins, Laughing Gulls, Song Sparrows, House Finches, Chickadees, and Cardinals for granted. After all, we see them all the time.
And that’s exactly the point. We do see them all the time – and we should. If these everyday birds are in trouble, it has serious implications for all of us. So take a minute to appreciate them. The next time a noisy group of Jays descends upon your feeders or a Laughing Gull steals a fry or two, be thankful that our environment is still healthy enough to support them – and take whatever actions you can to ensure that it stays that way. Ensuring a future for these birds – and for us – is something we can all do.
#wetlandsinstitute #stoneharbornj #middletownshipnj #conservation #WorldSparrowDay