123Pune.com

Pune, April 13: Many ornithologists, who study the lives of birds are a worried lot over a sharp decline of bird nests on trees in Pune and around.

In a novel initiative to restore the rightful place of birds on trees, a group of ornithologists in Pune have taken a vow to preserve them.

They have fashioned boxes of various sizes and shapes as well as material and hang them atop trees in various gardens under the city's Municipal Corporation. It is to ensure that the birds could move from one tree to another fearlessly.

The novel initiative came up after it was found that birds are moving away from the city.

"Take for instance the case of the common sparrows. You do not find them frolicking about in houses and in courtyards, the way they did not long ago. The reason for its disappearance is that rapid and indiscriminate urbanization has axed down thousands of trees that these sparrows nested in. Also, they miss the old style mud houses in which they used to borough to nest. But today's concrete jungles have taken away that too," said Satyasheel Naik, an ornithologist

Within months of setting up boxes atop trees, Naik and his friend Satish Pandey, a conservationist, noticed that birds like parrots, mynah and robins made their homes in these artificial nesting places.

The team also studied the kind of boxes preferred by each species. Since metallic and plastic boxes were uninhabitable in summer, birds preferred the earthen and wooden ones.

A weaverbird even built up her nest and laid eggs alongside the shade of a box. Even squirrels, magpies and hornbills thought them worthwhile, said the ornithologists.

The city's civic agency has agreed to their proposal. Thousands of boxes have been commissioned to set up in the city.

" As per the plan, we will initially install 1,000 boxes atop some chosen trees in 20 gardens and parks in the city," said Satish Pandey.

The success of the artificial nests will be closely monitored over the next two years. Pandey and Naik hope this will inspire people to care for the aerial species in particular and nature in general. ANI)

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