House Sparrow

Description:

Chirpy, cheerful birds. Males are darker with a distinct black bib.

Habitat:

I have read that sparrows are unable to find nesting spaces in urban areas as ventilators, channels, thick internal wirings in rooms have disappeared. This sparrow has found a water pipe that is not functional anymore as the verandah level has been raised. There is another pipe above this one and to its left through which the water exits if the balcony is washed. They have been using this pipe as a nesting space for at least a decade now.

Notes:

Crows (Corvus splendens) often sit on the protruding pipes and cock their 'ears' trying to catch the chirping of the chicks...sometimes they reach in and pull the fledglings out. Fledglings often try to cool off by sitting close to the mouth of the pipe.,,which makes it easy for the crows. Sometimes the chicks fall out trying to flap their wings...we put them back. Sparrows were dwindling but now that some of us are putting out birdseed we get to see small flocks everyday.