Liberating caged birds for gratification promotes illegal trade

Islamabad: The act of liberating the birds from cages to feel a sense of gratification or cast away evil is promoting the illegal business of selling birds in the markets.

Amna Shakoor, a conservationist, said “For many people, the act of liberating the birds is a source of virtue and an act of charity. They feel a sense of gratification when they see the birds fly away from their confines.”

“If we never want the extinction of local bird species such as house sparrows then we have to avoid purchasing and releasing caged birds for gratification. This practice promotes business of illegal hunters and poachers,” she said.

She said house sparrows have become a threatened species, and have seen a long-term decline in both urban and suburban environments. These birds prefer crevices and holes in man-made structures rather than naturally occurring nesting sites and are found to live in close proximity with human beings rather than in extensive forests or woodlands.

It is also believed that electromagnetic radiation caused by cell phone towers is lethal for sparrows and their chicks, who are highly sensitive to these rays that interfere with the navigation and nervous system of these birds. Moreover, the excessive use of pesticides and unleaded petrol also kills insects, which sparrows feed their chicks.

According to a report on local house sparrows, they mostly prefer seeds of millet, grass, thistle, weed and sunflower seed. However, they also eat fruits and berries. During this process, sparrows spread seeds to places away from the fruit tree.