UoP to create haven for birds on premises

The University of Pune (UoP) is soon going to be bird friendly. In order to conserve the population of city's winged beauties around its campus, the university will soon install shelters for birds, also known as bird houses, in all its main buildings on the campus. This initiative will be undertaken by a Mumbai-based club named Sparrow Shelter, which has installed bird homes and feeders across few educational institutions in Mumbai.u00a0

The club, founded by Pramod Mane who has been observing the birds inside the UoP campus, had proposed to the university authorities to install shelters and feeders for smaller birds, particularlyu00a0sparrows.u00a0

Besides sparrows lot of other smaller birds including coppersmith barbet, magpie robin, bulbul, myna among others can be found inside the campus.u00a0"We want the university to preserve the population of smaller birds, which are endangered by rampant environmental degradation, reduction of green cover and other architectural changes. There are hardly any places left for these small birds to build their nests. If we set up homes and feeders around theu00a0university, the birds inside the campus will not have to go to other polluted areas to seek shelter," said Mane, who would also be installing bird homes at Katraj Nature Park by next month.

The club has proposed to build shelters, which will be put up across main buildings and spots in the varsity.u00a0"By next year, we will request schools and colleges in the city to install shelters in their respective premises," Mane added. u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0 u00a0u00a0

"This will set an example and encourage other educational institutions to follow the same. The UoP has always supported such causes to safeguard the environment," said au00a0senior official from theu00a0Botany Department of the University.