SONEPUR: With ornithologists worried about the declining sparrow population, the Forest Department has launched a campaign to conserve and protect them.
As a part of the campaign, the Forest Department has installed hundreds of clay nests in the district with foodgrains to attract the birds.
Speaking at a recent meeting organised by the Department, Sonepur Collector Gagan Bihari Swain stressed the importance of sparrows in the ecosystem. He said effort had already been initiated worldwide to save sparrows and sought cooperation from all to check its declining population.
The sparrows that feed on insects such as caterpillars, beetles and ‘dipteran’ (double-winged) flies help maintain the balance, he added.
Earlier, ornithologists visited the district and following a study had suggested the need to place nests at strategic locations to help the sparrows grow in number.