The population of house sparrows has indeed declined over the past years and is perhaps continuing to decline, according to a recently released nation-wide survey.

The survey conducted last year by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) in partnership with the Ministry of Environment & Forests gathered data on house sparrows in 8,425 locations.

The 5,655 participants reported that sparrows were seen in fewer places now than they used to be seen before the year 2005. The number of nests was also found to be on the decline.

The report, titled Citizen Sparrow, stated, "Sparrows are seen in fewer places now than they were before 2005. Where they are still found, the numbers are lower than earlier and fewer nests are seen."

The reports also said that participants spotted a lot more sparrows in rural areas than in urban areas.

Researchers have been attributing the steep decline in the number of sparrows to decreased spillage of grains due to enhanced storage facilities, and increased use of herbicides and pesticides.

In urban areas, the population of the bird got affected by increased use of herbicides and pesticides in gardens, parks and campuses. In addition, the decrease in the number of open vegetable markets results in lack of food for the birds.