Set the birds free Let them fly free rather than trap them in cages.

Our apartment block’s WhatsApp group often buzzes with messages about how a pet bird has flown away and if anyone spots it, she should alert the owner on its whereabouts. Such frequent attempts to retrieve birds have always made me wonder why people keep avians as pets, and whether this a sustainable practice?

Though I love domesticated pets and have had dogs at home since I can remember, birds for me are inherently free spirits who need to be watched and studied closely in their natural habitat during a birdwatching trip. Increased urbanisation too is taking its toll on a dwindling bird population.

Remember how the sparrow disappeared from Delhi in 2012 for several years and, in order to focus on their conservation, the then chief minister Sheila Dixit named it the capital’s state bird and set in motion a movement to build artificial nests of natural material like jute, coir, earthen pots and bamboo. These measures helped, and in a decade the sparrow population made a comeback. The return of the small bird was received with much joy in the media and among environmentalists and birdwatchers.

Going green is all about being in communion with nature, conversing and observing it in all its glory. It is also about preserving the environment that sustains and nurtures us. When it comes to relishing nature’s gifts there is nothing like packing your picnic bags and binoculars and heading to a park and spending the day observing one of nature’s remarkable creations that inspired us to build and fly aeroplanes.

What is it about bird watching that is fascinating? One thing I can share with certainty is that observing and hearing a bird twitter in the bush or sing a song perched on a tree branch can bring much more joy than several birds trapped in a cage with their wings clipped so that they cannot fly away and be free the way nature intended them to be.

In fact, while reading up on the subject I came across a study by researchers Shawn Peng and Donald M Broom on “The sustainability of keeping birds as pets: Should any be kept?”. They talk about how keeping birds as pets greatly harms biodiversity and impacts wild bird population. They point to the unethical and unsustainable practices being followed by those who trade in pet birds and owners who keep them.

To quote them verbatim, “Wild-caught birds should not be sold to the public as pets, or to breeding establishments for several reasons. One is  because 75-90 per cent of wild-caught birds die before the point of sale and taking birds from the wild has negative effects on biodiversity.”

Moreover, their study points out that the housing provided for pet birds should meet the needs of birds of that species and allow good welfare, for example there should be no small cages but aviaries with space for each bird to exercise adequately, and social birds should be kept in social groups. “At present, inadequate housing of many pet birds results in stereotypies and other indicators of poor welfare in birds. Owners should have knowledge of how to provide good nutrition and minimize the risk of disease. Unless these changes are made, keeping birds as pets should not be permitted,” the study adds.

As a person focusing on the environment and sustainability, it is important to know the impact climate change is having on the bird population, especially long-distance migratory birds. Research led me to some worrying facts. Here are some I would like to share:

*              With changing temperatures and extreme weather events triggered by climate change, migration patterns of migratory birds are being seriously affected. They are forced to change the route they take, cancel or shorten their journeys, often this challenges their very survival.

*              Due to changes in temperature, desertification and water shortages or floods, several bird species face a loss of habitat. This seriously disturbs their natural nesting
and foraging.

*              Warming of temperatures has led to migratory birds arriving early in a region and the vegetation in such places has stopped matching their breeding season, making food for their offspring scarce. In a nutshell, climate change has brought uncertainty in the life of migratory birds, jeopardizing the survival of many of them.

So, what role can we play as green warriors? The most effective would be a campaign to save the birds in the place you live. If we can influence our friends, neighbours, the school and college in our vicinity, it would be of great help.

Holding awareness camps can be a meaningful intervention. Taking students to nature parks and teaching them the basics of observing birds and animals in their natural habitats could be a joyful and educative experience. While on the topic of observing our avian friends it would be worth noting that we will not be helping them by feeding them. Let them forage for their own food. It is not uncommon to see people feeding wild animals and birds with leftover food and grains. The pigeon is a case in point which becomes dependant on morning walkers for its food.

Of course, in the larger scheme of things, each one of us needs to join in to mitigate climate change, each in our own way. Use less energy, segregate your waste, choose natural products, cycle instead of transport that uses fossil fuel, and be an advocate for the environment.

Most important, when it comes to nature and biodiversity, leave the birds alone in their natural habitat. It would be best to take to bird watching and not bird keeping in the interest of the planet.

The writer is a senior journalist who writes on environmental issues