compensation for loss of habitat
All these students will train their mates, siblings and parents to rapidly increase nest numbers, only to partially compensate for the loss of habitat for sparrows, bulbuls, mynas and tailbirds, which are declining in number. were abundant and are now rarely seen in urban areas. ,
The ‘Missing’ House Sparrow
“Most alarming was the disappearance of the house sparrow from the burgeoning scene of urban India. We have stopped ventilators and modern buildings don’t even have them. A healthy population of birds in your locality is a sign of a healthy ecology in your neighborhood. If you suddenly see that birds are disappearing all of a sudden, it is something inauspicious for the ecology and the environment,” said Khatri.
“I came to Kolkata, on the invitation of Deepali Singhi, Principal, JD Birla Institute, for a workshop being organized by the National Social Service Wing of JDBI and over 400 students from different departments have registered for it. Will be done and will be hanged on May 19.” On the occasion of World Endangered Species Day,” she said.
bird watching passion
Khatri has done research and development work for nests since his retirement.
“Looking at nests and observing bird behavior became a passion for me and my wife. I used to spend hours looking at the trees or the corners of any building where birds nested. People used to call us crazy,” reminisced Rakesh, who has a remarkable track record of 80% nests being adopted by birds.
“The species of trees should be indigenous. Birds will never choose an exotic or invasive tree species for nesting. The nest should be at a height of 10-12 feet from the ground. It should be made in such a way that the eggs are not visible from outside,” said Khatri.
The house should give the bird a sense of security first and comfort later.
“I never miss an opportunity to train students as they are the future generation and birds are most affected by climate change,” he added.
One of the major reasons for the decline of avian species in an urban landscape like Kolkata is the rapid growth of pigeons.
“We keep feeding pigeons and only pigeons. Pigeons have a higher reproduction rate than all other bird species. With sparrows being an invasive species of pigeons in the landscape, competition for resources increased and sparrows were pushed into ecologically suboptimal areas of their natural habitat,” he said.