World Sparrow Day (WSD) is annually observed across the globe on 20th March to create awareness about the importance of sparrows or common house sparrows (Passer domesticus) and to promote the efforts towards their conservation.
- The World Sparrow Day is annualy observed under the theme “I Love Sparrows” which is inspired by the hope that more and more of us will celebrate the relationship between PEOPLE AND SPARROWS.
Background:
i.World Sparrow Day(WSD) is an initiative of Nature Forever Society which is celebrated in more than 40 counties across the globe. The day was established in collaboration with the Eco-Sys Action Foundation of France and other national and international organisations.
ii.The first-ever World Sparrow Day was observed on 20th March 2010.
About House Sparrow:
i.House Sparrows, a native of Eurasia and northern Africa, are especially abundant in areas where grains are available, such as around farms, zoos, or where people feed birds.
ii.It was 1st introduced in Brooklyn, New York, United States of America in 1851. It is found on two-thirds of the landmasses, including New Zealand, Australia, North America, India, and Europe.
iii.Sparrows play a role in the functioning of ecosystems by maintaining the food web and an ecological balance.
iv.Sparrows which are primarily seed-eaters, also feed on small insects and worms such as caterpillars, beetles and aphids.
IUCN status:
The House sparrow was assessed for the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species in 2016 and it was listed as Least Concern.
