| ID | 5933 |
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| Q1. Name of locality or area you are reporting about | Melli Bazar |
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| Rough Address/Area | Melli |
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| City/District | South Sikkim |
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| State | Sikkim |
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| Location Latitude | 27.08589554 |
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| Location Longitude | 88.45137024 |
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| Q3. What time period are you reporting about? | 1985-1989 |
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| Q4. What kind of general area are you reporting about? | Town |
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| Q5. What kind of locality is/was this in the time period chosen above? | Old residential area |
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| Q6. Roughly how large is the locality/area from which you are reporting sparrows? | 100-500 metres across (eg, a market, bus-stand or park) |
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| Q7. How well do/did you know this place in the time period chosen above? | I visited frequently |
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| Q8. How frequently did you see House Sparrows in the time period and locality/area chosen above? | Often: I saw sparrows several times a week |
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| Q9. When you did see House Sparrows in this time period and locality/area, how many did you typically see? | A large number: When I saw sparrows, there were usually between 30 and 100 birds |
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| Q10. If House Sparrows are/were present in this time period and locality/area, did you observe active nests? | Nests seen occasionally |
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| Q11. Would you like to share a story about House Sparrows from this time period? | Strangely during his Sikkim survey, Dr. Salim Ali did not observe any House Sparrows in Sikkim back in 1958-59. He found though that the Eurasian Tree Sparrow Passer montanus was a common resident. He also did not come across a third Sparrow the Cinnamon Tree Sparrow or Russet Sparrow Passer rutilans. I was hence taken aback when on a routine wildlife survey, 30 years later in around 1988-89, I came across scores of House Sparrows in the bustling township of Melli Bazar in South Sikkim. Many were nesting. |
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| Q12. What kind of buildings are/were present during this time period in this locality? | Grain shops, Vegetable shops, Other food shops, Non-food shops, Open-air eateries, Single-storey bungalows |
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| Q13. Please describe this locality/area in your words. | |
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| Q14. Does or did anyone feed sparrows in this locality/area, or put out nestboxes? | Don't know |
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| Q15. If this is an agricultural area, what are the main crops grown? | |
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| Q16. How much green space exists/existed in this locality? | |
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| Q17. If you have seen sparrow nests, where were they? | Wall cavity, under roofs |
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| Q18. When did mobile phone coverage arrive at this locality? | |
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