Nesting towers erected to breed wild birds

Yar Madadgar remains committed to protecting wild birds placing around 6,000 nests in different areas of Lahore

LAHORE:

Unique bird towers are being built in different cities for the breeding and protection of wild pigeons and other birds.

Yar Madadgar, an organisation working for the protection of wild birds, has placed around 6,000 nests in different areas of the city so far.

The organization has started to build a series of bird towers with a unique design, with the first tower in Punjab being built at Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park in Gujranwala. The towers are 20 to 25 feet tall and made of solid bricks and coated with mud. Nests for wild pigeons will be placed inside the towers, which cost over Rs500,000 to build.

 

The head of the Yar Madadgar, Rizwan Khawaja, told The Express Tribune that he adopted this design of the bird tower after a great deal of research.

He said that initially the towers will house messenger pigeons. Wild pigeons, which are similar to messenger pigeons in appearance, are expected to follow and settle in the towers. He said that this is the first bird tower out of seven which will be built around Gujranwala. Such towers will be built in other cities including Lahore.

Rizwan said that he has so far installed around 6,000 mud nests for sparrows and mayna, which have also built their nests inside them for the ongoing breeding season. He added that he started his work for nesting birds in 2018.

National Alliance of Animal Rights Activists and Advocates (NARA) Focal Person, Aniza Khan Omerzai said that such measures must be taken in every city for the protection and breeding of wild birds. Increasing numbers of trees will also have to be planted to facilitate the breeding of birds.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 14^th, 2023.