Birds Nurturing – Compassion and Care for Feathered Friends

Birds, like most vertebrate species, require water for survival. However, just like their food requirements, there are limits to dehydration before birds can suffer severe consequences, such as death.

Most of a bird's mass consists of 60-70% water. The amount depends on multiple factors, including species, size, sex, fat content, and muscle content. This high percentage requires constant water maintenance to prevent dehydration or salt stress.

Dehydration is the most obvious threat to birds during summers when the temperatures are high. However, high temperatures are also tied to drought and fires, which can lead to losses in food sources and habitat, further impacting birds in negative ways.

Losses in food and habitat can lower a bird's ability to lay and raise young, and these negative impacts can also carry onto the wintering grounds, lowering a bird's ability to survive from season to season. These negative impacts can even compound on a bird; scientists refer to it as the "carryover effect." Carryover effect can lead to lower productivity of young each year. Fewer young ones in consecutive years will lead to an overall population decline over a longer period of time. This is what causes our bird populations to begin to struggle, leading to our favorite birds no longer appearing near our homes.

https://youtu.be/9CGmF56-c6Y

Be the Backyard Bird Champion: Dera Sacha Sauda Tops the Charts in Feeding Birds

Birds not only need water to hydrate themselves, but this is also the time when are prone to getting mites, hence they need to bathe and cleanse themselves. The chirping house sparrows and migratory birds are vanishing due to lack of water sources. Numerous birds die due to heat and lack of water across the globe.

Hundreds of sparrows, pigeons and parakeets which used to flock in our houses are rarely seen today. This is due to lack of water sources and drop in the water level at the ponds.

With the intent to alleviate the struggles of these little beings and help them thrive, Saint Dr Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan urges his millions of disciples to put out an earthen bowl of clean fresh water in the garden, balcony, on sidewalk or in a shade on the terrace. This initiative has been named as ‘Birds Nurturing’ initiative.

Under Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan’s guidance, lakhs of bowls have been distributed to keep food for the birds (Birds Nurturing) and water, across India.

https://youtu.be/MYnB6Ay5_yk

The details of distribution of earthen bowls in a single day in various district of state of Haryana in India are as follows:

Place	Bowls
Rohtak	200
Kurukshetra	25000
Ambala	200
Fatehabad	800
Bhiwani	100
Hisar	1000
Kaithal	1100
Sirsa	1300

Spreading Awareness: Educating Communities towards Birds Care

Dera Sacha Sauda has been conducting frequent activities on ground level to spread awareness about feeding birds and arranging water for them in innovative ways.

Rallies, taking oath during spiritual congregations, including it in their welfare works list and following it up with relevant actions has made it easier for birds to survive the hot scorching summers.

To spread awareness in people on a larger scale, a Birds Nurturing mosaic was also made under the guidance of Saint Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan, way back in August 2017. This also bagged the world record under the name of Dera Sacha Sauda, motivating millions to feed and nurture these little feathered beings.

https://youtu.be/i2wqcDQDZwM

The initiative was soon adopted by millions, ensuring that their communities did not ignore the plight of birds.

The volunteers regularly place food and water on their rooftops and balconies, throughout the year, they especially install bird feeders and water bowls in public places during the summers.

This surely sends a message to others to emulate and save the voiceless lives. However, our society needs more hands involved, so that no life is taken for granted and everyone may come together to work towards this noble endeavour.

Revered Guru Ji is leaving no stone unturned to make this world a better place to live for every creature and Dera Sacha Sauda followers are ensuring to make the dream of Guruji, of fostering a cruelty-free world, a reality, where humans and other living beings live in harmony.

https://youtu.be/kx_R0pn8nzQ

Feed the Birds, Gain Appreciation for Nature

Feeding birds also offers a unique way to appreciate nature and its creations while providing them with a much-needed food source, especially during extreme winters and scorching summer months, when natural resources are scarce.

There are numerous ways in which feeding birds is beneficial for humans as well.

• It gives a sense of satisfaction and connection to nature
• One gets to watch birds and learn to appreciate the beauty of these feathered beings.
• Bird feeding also attracts more wildlife into your garden, providing hours of enjoyment for both children and adults alike.
• It also inculcates a sense of compassion for voiceless lives among children from young age.
• It also teaches empathy to the young children which is one of the most important skills they need to learn. To put yourself in another person’s shoes and see things from their perspective is incredibly tricky for little ones. It’s a skill that builds slowly and can be introduced in various ways.

https://youtu.be/gppAqqwqQjk

Conclusion:

Saint Dr Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan is an incredible philanthropist, his holiness always finds opportunities to teach empathy, love and compassion for every being on this earth. Including such tasks in the welfare works list seems a small effort but it’s collective impact on saving the birds as well as instilling compassion in younger generation is enormous and incredible.

Under the sacred guidance of revered Saint Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan, the volunteers of Dera Sacha Sauda installed 5215 water clay pots in public places for birds during the period of 24 January 2024 to 15 June 2024.

This drive should be further adopted and embraced by all of us, so that we can protect the beautiful birds, who play an important role in the Earth’s ecosystem. Save the birds, make a world of difference.