Species ANALYSIS International Journal for Species ISSN 2319 – 5746 EISSN 2319 – 5754 Rejoinder of House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) to Artificial Nest Boxes in Lucknow District, Uttar Pradesh, India Akhilesh Kumar҉, Sonika Kushwaha & Amita Kanaujia Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation Lab, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow-226007 Uttar Pradesh, India ҉Corresponding Author: Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation Lab, Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow-226007 Uttar Pradesh, India; E-mail: [email protected] Publication History Received: 29 March 2015 Accepted: 08 May 2015 Published: 1 July 2015 Citation Akhilesh Kumar, Sonika Kushwaha & Amita Kanaujia. Rejoinder of House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) To Artificial Nest Boxes in Lucknow District, Uttar Pradesh, India. Species, 2015, 15(47), 1-13 ABSTRACT House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is a symbiotic bird species with human habitation. Since the early 1980s the population of House Sparrow has decreased considerably in rural, urban and semi-urban regions in many parts of the world that attracted the Environmentalists and Researchers to excavate out the conservation measures. The loss of habitat has emerged out as the major reason. Unavailability of nesting site due to emerging trend of new building techniques played a drastic role. Change in life style of the people has further constrained the bonding between the human beings and sparrow leading to unavailability of proper food. The extensive and un-prescribed use of pesticides and trendy tiling of green area cut short the availability of soft insects for their chicks which is the major part of their food. Decreasing roosting sites due to habitat loss further exaggerated the problem. Being a cavity nest bird, use of artificial nest boxes for such bird is an old phenomenon well discussed in literature. Hence an experiment was designed in context to sparrows in Lucknow district of Uttar Pradesh. An exhaustive survey was done in the nine selected sites (Lucknow, Kakori, Malihabad, Itaunja, Mahona, Bakshi Ka Talab, Gosainganj, Amethi, and Nagram) of Lucknow district to find out the actual status of the sparrows in Lucknow. After estimating their population, three types of nest boxes of different materials and design were installed. The scientifically approved wooden nest boxes and traditionally popular earthen pots and shoe boxes were used in the present study. These were installed mainly in maximum populated area of Sparrow i.e. Daliganj (927 individuals) and minimum populated area, Itaunja (07 individuals) to improve the nesting and breeding potential of the Species. They were installed in the study area at appropriate height ranging between 6 to 23 feet and the direction of the entrance of the boxes were opposite to direct sunlight. The safe location for installation was also keenly observed, so that it could not be approached by predators. A total of 180 Sparrow boxes were installed (90 in Daliganj and 90 in Itaunja). A regular monitoring of the nest boxes was done during breeding season (February-July). Nest 1 recordings were done in the morning from 07:00 to 11:00 hrs and 04:00 to 07:00 in the evening by using a pair of 10x50X Binocular and 60 Akhilesh Kumar et al. Page Rejoinder of House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) To Artificial Nest Boxes in Lucknow District, Uttar Pradesh, India, Species, 2015, 15(47), 1-13, www.discovery.org.in http://www.discovery.org.in © 2015 Discovery Publication. All Rights Reserved DSLR Camera to record the specific behavior of the sparrow. Highly preferred nest boxes were wooden boxes (90% in Daliganj and 56.66% in Itaunja) in both the sites, followed by shoe boxes (43.33% in Daliganj and 20% in Itaunja). The least preferred were earthen pots (16.66% in Daliganj and 6.66% in Itaunja). Hence this study reveals that the installation of the nest boxes can be an alternative method for bringing back the sparrows in those areas where they are less or absent. Specifically the wooden nest boxes are most preferred amongst all. Key Words: House Sparrow, Nest Box, Population, nesting. 1. INTRODUCTION Artificial nest box: Birds are the excellent indicator of the ecological balance of a particular habitat because they are sensitive to It is a man-made environmental changes. House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) is also one of them. There exists a close bond between enclosure provided for man and sparrow, being considered as a domestic species is was nomenclature as Passer domesticus. This small animals to nest in. Nest bird is a representative member of the Order Passeriformes and Family Passeridae and commonly known as boxes are most Gauriya. It is a symbiotic bird species and closely associated with human habitation (Blondel et al, 1981; Ali, 1996; frequently utilized Daniels, 2005; Chamberlain, 2007). It is a crucial bird species as an equilibrant factors in ecosystems which have for birds. Placing nest educational, recreational, economical and aesthetic values (Ghosh et al., 2010). References of House Sparrow in boxes may be used to most of the mythologies and folklores also prove the existence of this species in the close proximity of the human help maintain dwellings. The House Sparrow is one of the most widely spread and abundant bird in the world (Summer- Smith, populations of particular 1988; Andorson 2006). Previously the species was so common and widespread that it was once considered to be a species in an area. The pest species in many parts of its range (Crick, 2002). It was often considered to be an urban specialist (Summer- nest box was invented by Smith 2003), despite this historical success, the species has been declining since the early 1980s in several part of the British the World, including various States of India (Heij 1985, Siriwardena et al., 2002). According to Dandapat et al conservationist Charles .(2010), there has been noticeable decline in the number of House Sparrows in several parts of India particularly Waterton in the early across Bangalore, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Panjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Delhi and other cities. According to an 19th century to ornithological survey conducted by Indian Council of Agricultural Research, the sparrow population in Andhra encourage more birdlife Pradesh alone has dropped by 80% and in other States like Kerala, Gujarat and Rajasthan, it has fallen by 20%, on the wildfowl while the turn down in coastal areas is as sharp as 70% to 80%. Several surveys conducted at different places of and nature reserve he India on the occurrences of House Sparrows by Rajashekar and Venkatesha (2008), Daniels (2008), Khera et al. set up on his estate. (2010), Bhattacharya et al. (2010), Ghosh et al. (2010) suggest that their population has decreased considerably at present. Drastic decline of House Sparrow has been reported by Rajan et al. in 2013 in Urban and Suburban Areas of Jammu Region,. Recent studies in Uttar Pradesh also indicate decline of House Sparrows in rural, urban and semi-urban regions of Uttar Pradesh. Scientist and researchers concluded several reasons for such decline. Unavailability of nesting space, decrease in food availability, sudden change in human living style, pollution, electromagnetic radiation from mobile phone towers and disease were some of the causes. Among all these, one of the foremost reason is the declining nesting sites in urban and suburban region (Raghavendra Rao 2000; Denis Summer-Smith, 2003; Cramp, et al., 1985). Since then strategies and efforts for their conservation are being implemented. Being a cavity bird installation of the nest boxes may be an effective tool to increase the vanishing population of the House Sparrow (Newton, 1998; Nilsson, 1975; Moller, 1989; Bhattacharya et al., 2010; Ghosh et al., 2010). Present study was undertaken to analyze the rejoinder of House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) to artificial nest boxes in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. Present study was conducted in the Lucknow city which is the capital of Uttar Pradesh. The study area involves in and around Lucknow which includes Mahona, Itaunja and Bakshi Ka Talab to the North, Gosainganj and Amethi to the East, Nagram to the South-East, Malihabad and Kakori to the West and Lucknow itself in the Centre (Fig. 1). Lucknow is situated 123 meter above sea level and along co-ordinates 26°51′N and 80°55′E. In summer temperature ranges from 30-45 while in winter from 2-20 , the average annual rainfall is about 896.2 mm (35.28 inches). It covers an area of 2528 sq.km. well fed by River Gomti enriched with variety of flora and fauna. Population of Lucknow as per census 2001 is 36,81,416 Lacs. Species Description House Sparrow is a small, stocky song bird with thick bill, short leg, having a size of 14-16 cm, weight 26-32 gram with 19-25 cm of wing span. The sexes are dimorphic. The male is warm brown above, with a grey crown and nape. It has grey cheeks and grey under parts with black round the eyes (Fig. 2). The mantle and scapulars are boldly streaked black, chestnut and buff, and the tail is dark brown. The bib has black feather with white tips that are gradually abraded so that’s why the beginning of the breeding season the bib becomes uniformly black (Summers- Smith, 1988). The female is rather featherless with a grey brown crown, a pale, buff supercilium, to wings bars and an unmarked throat and breast (Fig.2). The bill becomes darker during the breeding season and a few birds have a completely black bill (Lowther and Cink, 1992). The Juvenile looks similar to an adult female. 2 Akhilesh Kumar et al. Page Rejoinder of House Sparrows (Passer domesticus) To Artificial Nest Boxes in Lucknow District, Uttar Pradesh, India, Species, 2015, 15(47), 1-13, www.discovery.org.in http://www.discovery.org.in © 2015 Discovery Publication.