365 Days- Book I

9. Sparrows

July 9, 2018

" Choose an animal. Write about it!"

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I know, I know, I know - birds are not animals! Or are they? Anyway, I will argue that whether birds come under the most liberal definition of animals is mere semantics, which does not merit arguing.

Alright, for those still not convinced, I think the confusion arises with us, generally, considering animals to be mostly mammals. A quick search of Google and here we go:

"An animal class is made up of animals that are all alike in important ways. Scientists have grouped animals into classes to make it easier to study them.

There are many different animal classes and every animal in the world belongs to one of them. The five most well known classes of vertebrates (animals with backbones) are mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians. They are all part of the phylum chordata - spinal chord.

There are also a lot of animals without backbones. These are called invertebrates and are part of the phylum arthropoda (arthropods). Two of the most commonly known classes in this phylum are arachnids (spiders) and insects."

Now that the argument has been resigned to the bottom of the dustbin, let me proceed. Why sparrows?

I rediscovered them once I shifted to my new house and was thrilled to see a pair that would land on the railings of my balcony. They are proof that we humans have not managed to make them extinct and in the process, kill ourselves too. Sparrows are primarily city birds, as opposed to those birds which are slowly dying out on account of loss of their natural habitat, if sparrows cannot survive in the city then it spells doom for all humans.

Sparrows are small plump birds, which appear friendly and are cute, despite being shaded in a grey and brown plumage; and though they do not have a melodious bird call, their chirping is quite pleasant on the ears. The male has a ring of black around his eyes, much like a child who has rubbed his kohl lined eyes and spread it around, and a black bib. The female has no such adornment. These birds are also considered as pests, especially those in the agricultural areas, for they are grain eating birds. However, they could also be helpful, for sparrows also eat insects.

For me, the cutest thing about them, is watching them take a bath. Sparrows are avid bathers, water or dust, either seems to be fine with them. It is an adorable sight, lots of birds, flinging sand or water over their backs, chattering (as though they are gossiping about their human neighbours, I can feel my imagination going into overdrive) and singing, which is followed by a session of preening.

I think I shall install a bird bath in my balcony, it should attract a few more pairs, and then I can admire them along with my nephew (who also is fascinated with sparrows).

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Word Count: 476