Every year March 20 is observed as World Sparrow Day to raise awareness about the bird

The need for marking this day was felt due to the tremendous decrease in its population. 

The house sparrow is on the verge of extinction. This year the theme for WORLD SPARROW DAY is I LOVE Sparrows. The theme has been inspired by the hope that more and more of us will celebrate the relationship between PEOPLE AND SPARROWS. 

The initiative was started by Nature Forever Society (NFS) of India, founded by Mohammed Dilawar, an Indian conservationist. 

He started his work helping the house sparrow in Nashik. He was also named one of the "Heroes of the Environment" for 2008 by Time for his efforts. 

The idea of marking World Sparrow Day came up during an informal discussion at the Nature Forever Society's office. 

The idea was to earmark a day for the house sparrow to convey the message of conservation of the house sparrow and other common birds and also mark a day of celebration to appreciate the beauty of the common biodiversity which is taken so much for granted. 

The first World Sparrow Day was celebrated in 2010 in different parts of the world. The day was celebrated by carrying out different various kinds of activities and events like art competitions, awareness campaigns, and sparrow processions as well as interactions with media. 

Apart from the Eco-Sys Action Foundation (France), there are also other national and international organisations that work in collaboration for this day.