The Delhi Government’s initiative to revive the population of the house sparrow is yet to yield results as bigger birds-pigeons and mynahs are creating hindrances. Ornithologists said that the large populace of the bigger birds are elbowing sparrows out of their habitat and leaving them without places to nest and feed. They added that till the time feeding of pigeons is brought under control and Delhi gets rid of its termites —the main food for the mynah — the population of sparrows will never find a home in Delhi. Increase in concretisation and absence of open spaces around houses in the city has gradually led to vanishing of sparrows from the topography of Delhi. Ornithologists feel that over-feeding of pigeons has led to an increase in their population. “Because of religious significance, the number of feeding point of pigeons in the city has gone up and so has their population. Till the time feeding of pigeon is restricted in the city, the number of sparrows will not increase,” said ornithologist Aisha Sultana. It is not just the pigeon, but also the mynah that is dominating the sparrow space. The main food for the mynah is termite which is present in all the parks of Delhi. However such is not the case with sparrows. Sparrow is a household bird and its main source of its food is worms that live in small lawns, grasses and kitchen gardens. It makes its nest on windows and ventilators of houses. “With rapid concretisation, both food and shelter for sparrow have shrunk. Very few homes in Delhi have kitchen gardens and all windows have air conditions as a result the sparrows have no food and no shelter,” added scientist M Shah Hussain. The sparrows live on small bushes which are also absent within the residential area. As a result the sparrows fail to find a favorable habitat in the capital. Besides, being smaller in size than the mynah and pigeon it fears being around inside the city limits in the presence of the big birds. Some flocks have found shelter in the biodiversity parks of Delhi and the Delhi Zoo. The Environment Department of Delhi Government has tied up with Jawaharlal Nehru University for conducting a study on sparrows. The department also initiated awareness programs with the schools and is sensitising students about the same. “We are waiting for the findings of Jawaharlal Nehru University. Meanwhile, we are creating sparrow corners in the schools and are giving them nests for the sparrows,” said Dr VC Sabata, Senior Scientific Officer, Environment Department Delhi Government. Sparrow was declared the State bird of Delhi last August by Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.