Patna, March 17: Next time you spot a house sparrow chirping in your balcony, click a photograph and send it to the zoo on its WhatsApp number (7546811116) or post it on its Facebook page (Patnazoosavesparrow). You could win a prize.

Patna zoo is holding a photography contest to celebrate World Sparrow Day (March 20) and to generate awareness about the bird, whose numbers have dwindled in urban areas over the years. The contest is not only confined to first, second or third prizes. The authorities have planned to give away prizes for the best pictures they receive as entries.

"The first-of-its-kind contest is being held from March 13 to March 20," said zoo director Nand Kishore. "We have received around 30 entries from across the state, while over 6,000 people have visited our Facebook page."

He said the zoo will hold another programme on March 19 in which a model sparrow would be flown at a height of 10ft. "We will put up awareness-related posters on sparrows in city schools," added Kishore.

He said the contest aimed that to ascertain the population of Bihar's state bird.

Britain's Royal Society of Protection of Birds has included house sparrows on the Red List on the basis of research findings in different parts of the world, including India. The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources has also declared house sparrows as an endangered species.

"A survey by Bombay Natural History Society four years ago has proved that house sparrows are still very much part of our country's landscape and the belief that it was near extinction was wrong," ornithologist Arvind Mishra said.

"Radiation from mobile towers is believed to affect them big time."

And on more zoo news, one of the four cubs of Swarna, the white tigress, has been unwell.