Hyderabad’s sparrow revival takes flight through engineered nest boxes

Hyderabad: The fading sparrow population in the city is finding its way back home through carefully engineered nest boxes tucked into balconies, walls and apartment corners across the city. From Ameenpur and Gachibowli to Dilsukhnagar and Alwal, thousands of plywood nest boxes are helping revive the disappearing sparrow population.What appears to be a simple plywood box is, in reality, the result of years of research, field observation and precision design by volunteers of the Animal Warriors Conservation Society (AWCS).The idea was born after conservationists realised that modern urban architecture had quietly erased the tiny cavities and crevices sparrows traditionally depended on for nesting. Glass facades, sealed concrete walls, and compact apartment structures left the birds with nowhere to breed.“People often blame mobile tower radiation for the decline, but that is not the real reason. Sparrows thrive around human habitation. What they lost were nesting spaces,” said Pradeep Parakuth, founder of AWCS.But the revival effort goes far beyond simply hanging boxes, with every dimension being carefully calibrated. “The entrance hole measures just about 1.5 to 2.5, large enough only for sparrows to enter while keeping bigger birds out. The boxes deliberately avoid external perches, preventing predators such as shikra, hawks from gripping the structure and attacking chicks,” he added.Even the roof angle matters. Designed with a 40° to 45° inclination and an extended overhang, the structure prevents larger birds from landing securely. Smooth interiors minimise insect infestation, while green plywood with low-emission materials helps create safer nesting conditions.“The size and proportions are not random,” Pradeep explains. “Every feature improves breeding success and protects the birds. So far, we have installed thousands of boxes through schools, housing communities and volunteers, helping draw back an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 sparrows into the Hyderabad region. We distribute over 1,000 nest boxes every year,” he said, adding that the volunteers train the community members on how to install them. “They cannot hang it on a tree. It needs to be mounted on walls or balcony corners,” he added.Volunteers clean the boxes after every breeding cycle, removing leftover nesting material that can otherwise pile up and discourage future occupancy. Timing too plays a key role. Boxes are installed around post-winter and post-monsoon breeding periods, ensuring chicks hatch when food sources such as leftover grains and farm produce are more easily available.