Berhampur

On the occasion of National Bird Day, wildlife activists on Monday installed artificial nests in several houses in an Odisha village as part of efforts to conserve house sparrows.

The nests were installed in Basudevpur village in Ganjam district, where several villagers, particularly women, actively participated in and supported the conservation initiative.

National Bird Day is observed on January 5 to raise awareness about bird conservation and highlight the ecological importance of avian species.

“So far, we have installed more than 6,000 eco-friendly artificial nests and feeder boxes across around 40 villages in Ganjam district,” said Sagar Kumar Patra, president of Anchalika Bikash Parishad, an organisation working towards the conservation of house sparrows.

Patra said the organisation plans to install more artificial nests in various locations in the coming days, as demand from villagers continues to grow.

Local residents said the sparrow population in these villages has increased manifold since the installation of artificial nests, with villagers also providing food and protection to the birds.

The sparrow conservation drive was launched by the organisation in 2012 from Bagahajhari village. As part of the initiative, earthen pots and artificial nests were distributed among villagers to be hung outside their homes to attract sparrows for nesting.

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The pots are specially designed and decorated to encourage breeding, contributing to the revival of the declining sparrow population in the region.