Impact of Urbanization on Nest Site Selection and Fecundity Rate of House Sparrow, Passer domesticus Population

Abstract

Population of house sparrow is fast declining due to danger posed to their survival by the factors, such as, lack of nesting sites due to modern architecture of building, lack of seed food, insect food and predators. Hence the present study was undertaken to study the impact of urbanization on the nest site selection and fecundity rate by the house sparrow population between the rural and urban places of Sivakasi and Rajapalayam Taluks of Virudhunagar District, Tamil Nadu. Among the 111 nesting sites observed 16 nests were found to be present in the urban study sites and the remaining 95 nests were observed in rural study sites. We also investigated the nest height selection by the house sparrows and found that the height of nest observed in urban places was found to be higher when compared with the rural study sites. From the statistical analysis we also found that the number of olden styled architectural buildings show positive correlation with the number of house sparrow population as well as nesting sites. It is affirmed to say that availability of nesting sites in an area determines the number of sparrows due to absence of nesting sites in the modern architecture of buildings.