Unfortunately, despite being a bird that lives on almost all continents, the population of the house sparrow has decreased in both urban and rural areas. A decline reflective of the current state of the environment. According to the data provided SEO BirdLife Regarding this bird, in the last three decades Europe has lost 60% of its house sparrows.

In Spain, the population decline is not as pronounced as in the rest of the continent, but the reality is that In the last thirty years and according to data from the Seo Bird Life platform, this has been reduced by more than 8 million copies.

"Andalusia is the point where the house sparrow population has suffered the greatest decline. It disappears from our cities because they are increasingly monotonous and artificial, without investing in natural green areas that provide food for the sparrow and many other urban birds. Added to this are the new constructions, linear and with hardly any holes in which to nest,” explains Antonio Garrucho, head of zoology and Bird coordinator at BIOPARC Fuengirola.

A species that suffers a “silent” disappearance

The house sparrow is now an endangered species. Like all other once abundant plants and animals they face an uncertain future. The reasons? There is certainly no single reason for the decline. Its slow, but notorious disappearance has been classified as one of the greatest mysteries of recent times.

In urban areas, as indicated in previous lines, the lack of green areas and the aesthetics of new constructions contribute to the disappearance of this small species. In rural environments, agricultural intensification stands out, with great use of pesticides and little biodiversity. “The loss of boundaries between plots, the disappearance of farmhouses and, ultimately, the abandonment of the countryside drags a multitude of species to silent extinction.”

Taking care of the house sparrow is also contributing to the conservation of the environment. The sparrow provides numerous benefits to our natural environment. It acts as a seed disperser, especially grasses. Seeing sparrows in our streets, parks and gardens brings us closer to a nature that is often far away from us,” Garrucho highlights.

March 16 and 17 to enjoy an activity with which to meet the house sparrow

With these data on the table, BIOPARC Fuengirola joins the commemoration of this day with the launch of an activity specially developed to raise awareness and invite its visitors to get closer to this small and emblematic bird. This will take place this weekend, March 16 and 17, at its facilities.

In it, the Education and Zoology teams will report on the disappearance of the house sparrow in the closest environment, the need to protect it and, therefore, take care of the environment.

A protest day

World Sparrow Day is an initiative promoted by the Nature Forever Society's organization with the aim of informing about the importance of protecting species with a lower threat status, which are reducing their population little by little, going unnoticed, but even reaching disappear in certain cities. In 2010, the first global event was held (World Sparrow Day), with more associations and individuals joining this cause each year.