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House sparrow in Delhi: the state bird that went missing
Passer domesticus
The house sparrow, gauraiya in Hindi, has been Delhi's state bird since 2012, a choice made to draw attention to its decline in the city. It has not vanished: sparrows are frequent in Sunder Nursery and Lodhi Garden, common in the Yamuna-side parks around Shantivan, and Old Delhi's markets and courtyards hold far more of them than the newer districts.
Declared the state bird of Delhi in 2012 specifically to draw attention to its decline in the city. World Sparrow Day, on 20 March, was started in India.
Where to see it
Sunder Nursery · often
Lodhi Garden · often
Shantivan & Parks Beyond Red Fort
Old Delhi's markets and courtyards hold far more sparrows than the newer districts
👀 How to recognise it
The male has a grey cap and a black bib, the female is plain buff with a pale stripe behind the eye. Look in old markets and under shop awnings rather than in new glass districts.
Old buildings, not new ones
Sparrows follow the old city. They nest in the eaves and crevices of houses and raise their chicks on insects, so a lane of old buildings with gaps in the walls, shop awnings and a hedge or two nearby suits them far better than a district of glass and concrete. That is why Old Delhi, the district around Chandni Chowk, is the first place to look: in its markets and courtyards, listen for chirping from awnings and rooflines, then look for the birds.
Among the city's parks, the guide marks sparrows as frequent in two:
- Sunder Nursery: the landscaped park beside Humayun's Tomb, with well-kept paths. Easy to combine with the tomb for a half day.
- Lodhi Garden: old tombs among lawns and trees in the centre. Early morning, the quietest hour, is the most pleasant time.
The chain of memorial parks along the Yamuna behind the Red Fort (Shantivan, Raj Ghat, Vijay Ghat) is the third place where sparrows are common.
Frequent is not guaranteed. A spot that is empty one morning may be busy the next.
Why Delhi chose a missing bird
Delhi picked the house sparrow in 2012 for an unusual reason: because it was becoming scarce. In the 2000s numbers fell sharply in Indian cities, and in South Asia the bird has largely vanished from many big cities. There is no single proven cause. The encyclopedia lists fewer nesting holes in modern buildings, loss of the bushes sparrows shelter in, predators, disease and, above all, a shortage of insects for the chicks. Mobile phone radiation is also on the list of proposed causes, not established ones.
World Sparrow Day, 20 March, also began in India, started by the Nature Forever Society and first held in 2010. Globally the house sparrow is rated Least Concern by the IUCN, and in India it is in Schedule II of the Wild Life (Protection) Act as amended in 2022, so hunting or capturing wild sparrows is prohibited.
When to go and what helps
Sparrows stay in Delhi all year, so the season is about your comfort, not theirs. October and February to March are the pleasant months; May and June bring heatwaves, and from November to January smog and fog hang over the city. In any month, the first hours after sunrise are the coolest and calmest.
Because a shortage of nesting sites is probably one cause of the decline, conservation groups encourage nest boxes made for sparrows. The species in general is on the house sparrow page; Delhi's other birds and the best birdwatching spots are on birds of Delhi.
❓ FAQ
Which is the state bird of Delhi?
The house sparrow, declared in 2012 to draw attention to its decline in the city.
Where can I see house sparrows in Delhi?
In Old Delhi's markets and courtyards, and in parks: they are frequent in Sunder Nursery and Lodhi Garden and common in the Yamuna-side parks around Shantivan.
How do I tell a female house sparrow from a male?
The male has a grey cap and a black bib. The female is plain buff-brown with a pale stripe behind the eye and no bib.
Why did sparrows disappear from Delhi?
No single cause is proven. Fewer nesting holes in modern buildings, loss of bushes and a shortage of insects for the chicks are among the main explanations.