Tomasz Samojlik, Adam Wajrak “Detective Sparrow and Broken Pen” (Agora Children’s Publishing House) – excerpt
Welcome to the city!
We know, we know. We really know – after the adventures of Triko, the three-toed woodpecker in “The Dead Forest” and “The Undead Forest”, and after struggling for the precious carcass in “The Call of the Carcass”, it’s hard to believe that we now have a book about birds in the city for you. You may even rub your eyes in amazement. Instead of the rare and – needless to say – quite strange three-toed woodpecker, our hero will be an ordinary and common sparrow. Instead of the backwoods of natural forests full of large and hollow trees and fallen trees, we will take you between brick and concrete buildings, on their roofs, on lawns and even to garbage cans.
Can there be anything more boring in terms of nature than the city? If you think so, then believe us that you are wrong! Sparrows are extremely interesting birds. Detective Sparrow has the adventures of Sheriff Triko, and the city can be fascinatingly wild.
Just open your eyes wide and start observing what is happening inside it. We hope this comic will help you with that. You will see what wild stories can happen in the city right under our noses, and you will understand what dangers await the inhuman inhabitants of the metropolis
Detective Sparrow and the Broken Feather agora for children
Why do birds like the city?
The city is seemingly a place where wildlife is hard to come by. It would seem that creatures as demanding as birds, apart from a few species, will not find much space to live here. Where would they live, since brick, concrete, glass and steel buildings, concrete and asphalt squares and streets reign here, and there is certainly less greenery than in the forest? And there’s a lot of people here who are afraid of animals.
It turns out, however, that the city is not so bad for birds after all. Scientists studying the birds of Warsaw in the years 1980-2000 counted as many as 247 species within the city limits – more than half of all species found in Poland! Of these, 131 species nest in our capital on a regular basis. The situation is similar in other European cities, for example in Berlin, 127 species of birds regularly nest.
Pictures from the book ‘Detective Sparrow and the Broken Feather’ agora for children
Why, although the city does not look friendly at first glance, it pays to live here for birds? Although there are fewer trees and bushes here, it does not mean that there are no suitable places for nesting. After all, buildings, if we look at them from the point of view of birds, are nothing more than rocky mountains and slopes full of ledges, nooks and crannies. The squares and streets surrounded by them are almost the same as valleys and canyons. It’s not everything. Maybe cities don’t have as many trees as forests, but few forests have trees as big and old as city parks.
Lawns, on the other hand, are like meadows and there is no shortage of food on them: from tasty larvae and grubs to seeds. Besides, people also provide birds with a lot of food in the form of waste, but they also consciously feed them. In addition, there are fewer predators in the city than in the forest, which means it is safer. And the people in the city are a bit friendlier.
I’m already explaining what’s going on, because for the life of me, I wouldn’t want you to think that people outside the cities are not so nice. Well, in cities we humans as a whole, and that’s how birds see us, we don’t do various bad things. For example, we don’t hunt. This is why mallard ducks in Warsaw’s Saxon Garden or in the Royal Łazienki Park can be fed almost by hand or you can walk right next to them, but outside the city, in areas where they are hunted, they will run away at the sight of a human. They know that there a man often means a threat. It is similar, for example, with wild boars that choose cities because they feel safe there. You can see for yourself that the actions of even a small group of people can spoil our reputation in animals.
Pictures from the book ‘Detective Sparrow and the Broken Feather’ agora for children
In addition, there are fewer predators in cities (although this is changing recently). This is why, for example, some birds, such as blackbirds, tend to live longer in cities than in forests. They live here in larger groups and an injury does not mean death for them immediately, as it would be in the forest, where there are many predators. So is the city a land of milk and honey for birds? Not completely.
The city also has many problems that the birds have to deal with. But more on that in a moment.
Detective Sparrow and the Broken Feather agora for children
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
