World Sparrow Day

On March 20th, national and international organizations, NGOs, clubs, reserves, universities and individuals around the world will partake in awareness programs and festivities to celebrate the 3rd annual World Sparrow Day (WSD).

While many avid bird feeders may find this hard to believe, it is true; the ubiquitous House Sparrow is declining in number.  For the many Americans who consider this species a lowly pest…think again.  The adaptable House Sparrow is declining in its native lands, and this is something about which we should all be concerned. Why?  Well, usually, a decline in the number of what we consider a “common” species of “least concern” can signify more encompassing environmental threats.  You see, the birds we sometimes take for granted aren’t guaranteed to be around forever….

Whenever World Sparrow Day comes around, I am always reminded of the Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratoriu), a species that went from being one of the most abundant birds in the world during the 19th century to extinction early in the 20th century.  Makes you think, right?

How can you help spread the word? It’s simple…

This year’s WSD theme is called ‘Chirp for the sparrow! Tweet for the sparrow!’ It was designed as a call to action – a call to sparrow lovers, nature supporters and conservationists everywhere to spread the word to save the sparrow and other common species. Use any means of communication available to you (text, email or phone) to encourage family and friends to learn about WSD and the importance of common bird species by directing them to www.worldsparrowday.org. Or, you can engage in social media by blogging, sharing your thoughts on websites and spreading the word on social networking sites like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc.

I hope that the next time you see a House Sparrow, you take a moment to appreciate the species and feel fortunate to see these birds as often as we do here in North America.

Happy Birding!

Danielle


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