In the midst of blaring horns, loudspeakers, TV sets and now smartphones, it’s not surprising that most Mumbaikars aren’t aware that the sharp chirps of the tiny house sparrows may soon become jsut a distant memory.

Over the last few decades, several studies in India and across the world have revealed a decline in the population of house sparrows (scientific name: Passer domesticus) in urban areas. In fact, a 2013 survey by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) reported a decline in frequent sightings of house sparrow nests across Greater Mumbai region from 40% in 2005 to 10% in 2012. Though the Greater Mumbai Region fared better in numbers of no-sightings when compared to other Indian cities, the survey, compiled as a result of the Citizen Sparrow campaign (Citizensparrow.in) ,indicated that sparrows are shifting to smaller towns and villages.