This Mysuru homemaker is committed to bring sparrows back

Once upon a time you could see scores of sparrows hopping in the backyard or even some daring to come to your balcony chirping merrily.
Kokila Ramesh Jain displays varieties of sparrows nests installed in Mysuru 
Kokila Ramesh Jain displays varieties of sparrows nests installed in Mysuru 

MYSURU: Once upon a time you could see scores of sparrows hopping in the backyard or even some daring to come to your balcony chirping merrily. But with cities turning into concrete jungles, this little bird slowly vanished. Now, a Mysuru resident has taken these tiny creatures under her wing to help conserve them. Kokila Ramesh Jain, a resident of Siddarthanagar, has constructed over 150 homes for sparrows, which she will distribute this month. She was inspired to go about this initiative after reading an article about sparrows in a magazine.

The 44-year-old homemaker was so moved that she dedicated her time during the lockdown towards providing safe breeding spaces for sparrows so as to increase their numbers in Mysuru. Kokila is the founder of Jeev Daya Jain Charity, which works towards the conservation of birds. She, via her organisation, has distributed around 500 sparrow houses and 500 feeder bottles to citizens last year. The design for the bird houses is her own -- the customised terracotta nests have helped attract more sparrows, she says.     

To ensure that the sparrows are well taken care of, she calls the residents/establishments to keep tabs on the feathered creatures. After getting details about their activities, Kokila requests people to fill the pots with water and food. She also often visits Devaraja Market to conduct surveys and interact with people on the status of the birds. Speaking to The New Sunday Express, Kokila says, “Initially, the shop owners at Devaraja Market would tell me that there were no sparrows at all in the area, and that my initiative would fail.

To change their minds, I conducted a campaign which helped educate them on the behaviour of the birds. Now, they are demanding nests so they can put them up near their shops! It makes me very happy that people are understanding the value of these birds.”   Mahadev, a vendor in Devaraja Market, says, “At first, I didn’t think this would work at all. However, after three months, the house Kokila made started to attract the birds.”  Sparrows, which have seen a drastic drop in population, can’t be found just about anywhere, unlike earlier when spotting these tiny birds in cities was common.

Now, these birds are seen only in some select pockets of the city. Kokila has started studying the areas where sparrows can still be found and is setting up nests there. Her plan is to have feeding stations for birds in different parts of Mysuru and to plant fruit-bearing and flower-bearing saplings so that birds can access food naturally. Kokila says that anyone interested can take part in the initiative by setting up nests. It is also important to construct a sand pit nearby, as sparrows enjoy playing in sand and water. The nests have a few holes in them for the birds to go in and out easily. The sparrows are fed a mixture of seeds, rice and foxtail millet. Those who want a nest can contact 9449066118. 

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