Study Finds House Sparrows Absent From Bengaluru During 2024-2026 Surveys

House sparrows have completely vanished from Bengaluru city and its peri-urban extensions, according to a research study published in the June 2026 issue of the journal Insect Environment. Researchers who conducted quarterly surveys between January 2024 and June 2026 across Bengaluru and the northern corridor stretching from Nelamangala to Kolar recorded zero house sparrows within the city itself.

The paper, titled 'Recent Observations on the Status of the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) in Bangalore', revealed that the species now survives only in scattered rural settlements north of Bengaluru, including villages in Devanahalli and Chikkaballapura. Small flocks of seven to eight birds, including breeding pairs, were occasionally observed in rural locations such as Varadenahalli, Naganayakanahalli, Bandappanahalli, Patalammanahalli, and Melur.

The study was lead-authored by Dr. Abraham Verghese, former director of ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources and former head of Entomology at ICAR-IIHR, Bengaluru. It was co-authored by M.A. Rashmi of Rashvee-International Phytosanitary Research and Services Pvt. Ltd, and Raghavendra V.G. from Shreenidhi Plant Health Clinic in Vijayapura, Devanahalli. Dr. Verghese noted that sparrows were common in the city until the early 1990s and could be seen near homes, marketplaces, railway stations, and the city's international airport until around 2020.

Researchers attributed the local extinction to rapid urbanization over the past three decades. The transformation of the urban landscape has led to the loss of tiled houses, poultry sheds, kitchen gardens, bushes, and open grain storage. The shift to neatly packaged grains, increased pesticide use, and shrinking green spaces have eliminated both food sources and nesting habitats for the commensal species.

In rural areas, traditional houses, paddy straw, cattle sheds, and small bushes still provide essential nesting and roosting spaces. Co-author M.A. Rashmi noted that many farmers consider sparrows a good omen and consciously protect them, with some setting up nest boxes in roof rafters. However, surrounding paddy fields near the city are increasingly being converted into horticultural farms and residential layouts.

The research paper also identified predation by feral cats as an overlooked threat that significantly impacts sparrow nests and eggs in urban settings. Regarding radiation from mobile phone towers, the authors cautioned that while electromagnetic radiation has been suggested as a factor in earlier studies, limited scientific evidence exists to establish a direct link.

Warning that nest boxes alone offer only a partial solution, the authors called for the restoration of diverse green spaces, grasses, wetlands, and agricultural patches, along with long-term monitoring across Karnataka's urban-rural gradient to support sparrow conservation.