Who is this cheeky visitor who builds his nest on the window pelmet, the terrace ledge and even on the fan in winter? It Is the bold brawn sparrow full of guts and Joie de vlvrc

People in Dhaka keep parrots, love birds, "mainas" and peahens as treasured pets. But they do not condescend to keep the simple, homely sparrow as a showpiece tn gu ikied

There arc poems dedicated to the nightin gale and the skylark who bek>ng to the same family . incidentally, as the sparrow There are lines even to the raven Bengali medium girls

from primary school know of the rhyme "one for sorrow and two for Joy..." about the "maina" But the spar row goes unsung. although it is an integral part of the city existence.

This bird, along with the doe Is", nigh-tlngles. crows and Jackdaws help to keep the place clean removing sluds worms

and dirt. I do not doubt that It wrecks the harvest on the fruit trees like the iichis and mangoes, but it certainly helps tn scattering seeds and in distributing pollen, which is necessary for plant reproduction.

It is a relief that the cruel bird sellers along New Elephant Road do not string up sparrows, a dozen for a single pot of curry perhaps, as they do In case of the migratory winter ducks. I have known urchins fishing small fish at the Dhanmandl Lake and hanging them up for sale, and getting a good price for it too. If the poor, harmless sparrow had been baited and sold in the same (ashion. it would have been a pity indeed.

This homely bird, with Its thick bill adapted for seed eating, thrives best tn the neighbourhood of man. and Is common throughout the temperate climate of Asia. N. America and Europe. Its pugnacious disposition, adaptability to urban areas and reproductive capacity (ft

raises several broods a year) all contribute to the sparrow’s success The Dhaka bird. Hke all city birds, is sooty while the country cousin displays a noticeable pattern.

The male as a grey crown, black throat mark, white cheeks, a chestnut nape, brown upper parts, and a buff belly The female and the young are dull brown above and dirty white below, with no distinctive he ad marks

The sparrow's nest is an untidy tangle of grass, feathers, hair et. which may contains three to six whitish eggs flecked with grey The Dhaka sparrow is a garrulous bird and spends much time hopping about on the ground feeding. all the while flicking Ils tail and uttering repetitive cheeps' In some cases the sparrow has been known Io take over the nests of other birds. It lays its eggs, and throughout the warm months produces brood after brood. Sometimes, if there is an unreasonably pleasant warm spell in winter the male sparrow will court the female sparrow again, hopping about with his wings down and his tails spread out. chirping noisily .

Both male and female sparrows are attentive parents to the yoyng birds when they hatch out. ,

Although Dhaka sparrow is an indigenous one. Its cousins in UK. USA. Canada, and Australia are not. The millions in Australia today started from a handful of 50.

Sparrow abroad had become so mischievous that the English House of Commons and the Department of Agriculture tn Washington in the nineteenth century declared them as "tramps" and ‘hoodlums'.

Although the unassuming Dhaka sparrow is Ignored and dismissed, its cousin In Java, with Its large, pink bill and black head. Is kept with care tn fancy containers.