Dear Comrades,
special cover released after Delhi makes house sparrow its ‘state bird’
The campaign to save the humble house sparrow from extinction got
another shot in the arm on Monday when India Post released the special
cover commemorating the Delhi government’s decision to make the species
the city’s ‘state bird’.
Designed by Nature Forever Society, the cover features a painting by UK-based artist Sue Tranter.
Coming close on the heels of the city government’s August 14
announcement to make the sparrow the state bird, the special cover was
unveiled to increase public awareness, especially the need for habitat
conservation in the urban environment.
Welcoming the move, Mohammad Dilawar of Nature Forever Society
said: “For the past seven years, Nature Forever Society has been working
to raise the profile of the house sparrow and to involve citizens from
all walks of life in the conservation movement. The efforts are now
bearing fruit as the sparrow is finally getting the attention it
deserves. And till now, only exotic birds and tigers have been featured
on stamps.”
“We thank India Post for bringing out a special cover, right
after it was declared the state bird of Delhi,” Dilawar, who founded the
society, said.
Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had earlier expressed concern over
the dwindling number of house sparrows (Passer domesticus subspecies
indicus) in the city. She hoped that the new status would help conserve
the species.
Once a common species, the tiny sparrow is now at the top of the
list of birds facing extinction. “The bird has disappeared in the city
because of rapid urbanisation. The sparrows fly within a radius of
two-three km. We will have to create an atmosphere conducive to the
habitat of sparrows in the city,” the Chief Minister said.
Indian Express
