Odisha Records First-Ever House Sparrow Census; Over 83,000 Birds Counted

Bhubaneswar: Odisha has taken a major step in wildlife conservation with its first-ever house sparrow census, documenting a total of 83,576 birds across the state during 2025–26.

The survey, conducted by the Wildlife Foundation Bhubaneswar, revealed a striking regional variation in sparrow populations. Sonepur district emerged as the hotspot, recording over 30,000 sparrows, while coastal districts reported significantly lower numbers compared to western Odisha.

Founder of the organisation, Pramod Dhal, said the findings highlight a clear distribution pattern, with western regions providing more favourable habitats for sparrows than urbanised and coastal belts.

The census covered multiple districts, including Mayurbhanj, Ganjam, Khordha, Koraput, Sambalpur, Balangir, Jharsuguda, Cuttack, Puri, Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Bhadrak, and Balasore, offering a comprehensive snapshot of the bird’s presence across varied landscapes.

Experts noted that the initiative provides crucial baseline data at a time when house sparrow populations are declining globally due to habitat loss, rapid urbanisation, pollution, and reduced availability of insects for food.

The census is expected to support future conservation planning and raise awareness about protecting the species, which was once a common sight in both rural and urban areas.