They were once seen flitting around old tiled houses and sometimes even flew in through the windows to perch on shelves and walls inside them. But with the urban landscape changing, the number of house sparrows is dwindling.

While most seem unconcerned, a 11-year-old student of the Kendriya Vidyala here is doing much more than talk about their conservation.

M. Akshaya has a nest box in her house in Indu Nagar which she uses to feeds the sparrows, hoping this will help their numbers grow.

The youngest member of the Nilgiri Wildlife and Environment Association(NWEA), the little girl developed a special bond with the sparrows after her father, M.Moorthy, a co-op bank employee and member of the NWEA, brought the nest box home a year ago.

“It is great fun to feed them in the mornings, place water out for them in the nest and see them visit it regularly. My sister Indusha, 14, too helps me feed them.

I once spotted a few eggs in the nest box and a hatchling. I simply love the sparrows, ” says Akshaya whose interest in her feathered friends grew during her bird watching trips to the Government Botanical Garden with her father.

K.Vijay, hon. secretary of NWEA, who applauds Akshaya’s interest in the sparrows, feels every school should encourage children to similarly look out for them and take part in their conservation.

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> Channels> Cities> Others / by B. Ravichandran / DC, Ooty / March 20th, 2012