‘Changing housing habits of humans and their changing lifestyles are adversely impacting some of Sri Lanka’s bird species, for example, the common House Sparrow and are proving adequately the close link between human activity and tendencies in the bird kingdom’, Professor of Environment Science, University of Colombo, Dr. Sarath Kotagama said. Our present tendency to build roofs with concealed rafters, for example, is driving away this popular sparrow species.

He was responding to the question as to why ‘bird watching’ needs to be considered an important human activity. In the following extracts from a wide-ranging interview, he explains how birds have become a major indicator of the status of a country’s environment. For instance, Sri Lanka’s grey-necked crow or ‘Kolomba Kakka’ is usually found in areas where there is an abundance of garbage:

"Birds have become a major indicator of the status of the environment. One proof of this is the grey-necked crow of Sri Lanka known as the ‘Kolomba Kakka’. It derives its name from the fact that it is found mainly in Colombo and its outlying areas. Historically, this ‘Kakka’ emerged with the expansion of the rail network in British times. It hovered around the rail track from the provinces to Colombo because it was along these transportation routes that agricultural produce was carried to the metropolis. These were food routes for the crow. It was along these tracks too that food was transported to the provinces, thereby reinforcing the presence of these crows.

"Later when the vehicular road network expanded, this species of crow began to dot the borders of these roads too. On the beaches we see that it has moved with the fisherfolk. So, the ‘Kolomba Kakka’ is closely associated with human settlements and human activity. It is a bird which is invariably associated with garbage on account of these links. Speaking of the more residential areas of Colombo, Independence Square and its surrounding areas came to be known as Colombo’s ‘Crow Area’. If one is to figure out how this came to be so, one would remember that the famous Industrial Exhibition of the mid sixties was held in this area. Many of the exhibition sites were located in the Race course in the neighbourhood of Independence Square in Colombo 7 and after the exhibition these buildings became the ‘Jatika Pola’. Simultaneously, the crows began to colonize the ‘Mara’ trees in this area. When the ‘Jatika Pola’ was shifted from there to Narahenpita the crows did so too. Today, we know the crow colonies are in Orugodawatte in Colombo, along with the rubbish dump there.

"Currently, we also have a huge crow colony in Colombo’s Town Hall area. This is on account of the heat of the city known as the ‘Heat Island’ effect which is a clear indicator to the heat at nights which attracts crows and encourages roosting by them in this locality. So, these factors encourage the spread of crow colonies along with the expansion of the city. Therefore, there is a clear link here between human activity and spread of birds. There is some sort of interdependence between the two. It is believed in some quarters in Singapore that it is Sri Lankans who brought the crow to Singapore, resulting in problems for Singapore, which in turn prompted the Singaporean authorities to eliminate the crow in the city state.

"So, bird behaviour is an indicator to the status of the environment. If we have a city full of garbage, for instance, we will invariably have crows. The magnitude of this link may pass unnoticed by us because even before we could set foot on the highways at the beginning of the day the crows would have consumed the garbage.

"Likewise, there is the Red-breasted Bul-bul or ‘Konda Kurulla’, which is found only in human habitations. A related species, the White-browed Bul-bul is found in dry habitats. There is the Yellow-browed Bul-bul which is only found in wet locations. These birds are very good indicators to the status of the environment.

"There is also the interesting case of the ‘Cattle Egret’, the Yellow-beaked white bird, which is usually found on any of our lawns. Of late this bird has begun to stalk garbage dumps and could be said to be taking over from the crow. It has become a symbol of garbage dumps and has begun to take on this significance all over the world. Initially, this bird fed on the insects on cattle; that is how it came to be named. But now it is moving into garbage-prone areas and feeding on the insects in garbage and consequently growing in number. So, such changing patterns of bird behaviour are indicative of changes in our environment.

"There is also the thought-provoking aspect of the relative scarcity of the House Sparrow. There are three factors, basically, which these sparrows get from us, humans. They are nesting sites, nesting material and food. These factors have reduced over the years.

" As their name indicates, these birds build their nests in houses or in trees close to houses.

We Sri Lankans have this tradition of bringing them into our houses because it is indicative of leading a life which is in harmony with nature. There is also the belief among some that these birds are a reincarnation of dead relatives; hence the tolerance. However, we have now built houses where these birds can no longer build nests. Because we now have, mostly, filled-up houses with ceilings. Rafters are no longer visible and this prevents these birds from building nests. In 99 percent of our houses these rafters are no longer there to be seen. We are shifting away from making provision for nesting sites.

"There is also the question of nesting material. This consists primarily of grasses. Most ‘House Sparrows’ made use of grasses and a good part of this was straw. On account of the increasing cultivation of, for instance, short-stalked paddy varieties, straw is in short supply. With the increasing use of the new kinds of threshing machines too, very soon there may not be straw at all. Other varieties of grasses are also fast dwindling.

"Galle Face Hotel and the President’s residence are two places in Colombo where ‘House Sparrows’ could still be found, however, on account of the availability of feeding sites and greenery, respectively, in the surroundings of these two structures.

"Next is the feed. In all probability the increasing use of pesticides and insecticides on grain-yielding plants, for instance, is accounting for deaths among these birds. At one time it was believed that the widespread use of mosquito coils accounted for these deaths but this seems to be a far-fetched notion.

"Of these factors, what I believe has had the greatest impact, are the changing human habits in housing. Our search for luxury houses and ease of maintenance of houses is taking us away from thatched houses and similar structures which facilitate roosting by ‘House Sparrows’. The changing lifestyles of humans are, therefore, impacting adversely on this species of sparrow.

And are governments responsive to the call for the conservation of nature?

"I would generally say in the Lankan context yes and no. If we are looking at bird conservation, it has not been an issue for the country. Elephant conservation tends to get precedence but we have set aside land for bird conservation. Compared to other parts of the world, it could be said that the Lankan fauna and flora ordinances recognized specific bird sanctuaries before many other countries had done in South Asia or in any other parts of the world. Kumana and Kokilai, for example, these are specific bird sites. There is also Bundala and Giant tank area in Mannar. So, we did recognize the value of birds and their congregations and aggregations. Therefore, historically, Sri Lanka has been ahead of most countries in bird conservation.

"Now, however, we are adopting a new approach to these issues. We have launched what is called the ‘Important Bird Areas Programme’. Birds have become a vehicle to recognize the diversity of nature in terms of bio-diversity. Thereby we have identified important bird areas, which has led to the recognition of the new term that has come in ‘The Key Bio-diversity Areas’. Government has been responsive in this respect and we The Field Ornithology Group of Sri Lanka, have undertaken to identify these key bird areas and we have identified some 104 such primary areas and this figure has boiled down now to 70. We have recommended to the government that these be declared areas of special status. Some of them may be sanctuaries, some may be declared Natural Parks etc. Many of the already designated protected bird areas also fall within these categories. These areas automatically qualify to be Key Bio-diversity Areas of the world. This way we are taking positive steps and the government is also responding.