They nurtured a sparrow family for years
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BANGALORE: "Whenever he brought stuff to build their nest, she threw it out," says Dr Shyama K Narang. This cold-hearted 'she' was a sparrow who lived in Dr Narang's Indiranagar residence for years. The bird rejected the broom and jute thread brought by her male partner and used handpicked items to make her nest. It was clear who had the upper hand in the relationship.
After the raw material were chosen, the sparrow couple zeroed in on a spot to house their nest. It was a bulb with a shade, whose screw had fallen off. The Narangs stopped using the bulb, which till then lit up the portico. "The nest was more important for us. It was a great feeling so see her eggs hatch. We would gaze at the birds for hours, and listen to the young ones being fed by their mother. She used to scream for food and I kept a bowl of cooked rice ready," says Shyama, a gynaecologist.
It was during her early years in Chickpet, which had an abundant population of sparrows, that Shyama developed a fascination for the birds. On the eve of World Sparrow Day, she is upset that their once-thriving population is shrinking.
"The couple would celebrate the first fight of their little ones 3-4 weeks after their birth. After six months, the female sparrow would lay eggs again," recalls Shyama. "All the birds need is love, care, a nest and some food," she says.
Shyama remembers the time when the female sparrow screamed her heart out when her food was gobbled up by a crow. "That was a signal for us to chase the bigger bird away. Once we did that, the sparrow responded by chirping proudly, as if telling the crow to back off," laughs Shyama.
And then one fine day, after her eggs hatched, the female sparrow died. It was a day of mourning for Shyama and her husband, and more so, for the male bird. "Once the mother was gone, he took over the task of feeding his offspring," says Shyama. Two days after the death, he came back with another partner but didn't allow her anywhere near the babies.
"He later had babies with his new partner but soon after that, we moved out," says Shyama. "It was lovely to live with them for so many years," she sighs.
Know the birdies
* Once a favourite habitat of sparrows, Bangalore has seen a decline in their number, except in a few areas like the RMC Yard in Yeshwantpur, Kengeri market, Austin Town and Basavanagudi. They are found in abundance at Kempegowda International Airport too
* On an average, a human heart beats 72 times per minute, while a sparrow's heart beats 460 times a minute
* There are instances of sparrows having learnt to open automatic doors at supermarkets
* Sparrows have the ability to digest grit; so saying one has the stomach of a sparrow is a compliment
World Sparrow Day
World Sparrow Day aims to raise awareness about the House Sparrow and other common birds and the threat to their populations. An international initiative by the Nature Forever Society of India, in collaboration with the Eco-Sys Action Foundation (France), it is observed worldwide on March 20 every year.
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