BEOGRADSKI VRABAC Belgrade sparrow
U Beogradu postoji ptica koja ne izgleda egzotično, ne peva kao slavuj, niti priča kao papagaj, pa ipak, to je nama Beograđanima najdraža, najlepša ptica na celom svetu. Nje ima svuda, gotovo je najrasprostranjenija na svetu, ali Beogradu je njegov vrabac i simbol i čuvar. Beogradski dživdžan odavno je postao neformal- ni simbol grada. Vrabac je kroz istoriju simbolizovao životnu radost, vernost, mar- ljivost i prilagodljivost, dok u hrišćanstvu predstavlja Božju bri- gu za najmanja bića. Mornari su ga smatrali talismanom za sre- ćan povratak, a danas vrabac često simbolizuje urbanu slobodu i alarmira na ekološke promene. U Beogradu je postao simbol pr- kosa i odbrane iz 15. veka. Zašto baš on? Zato što je vrabac sve ono što je Beograd u svom najprepoznatljivijem izdanju: snalažljiv, tvrdoglav, brz, društven, pomalo drzak i uvek prisutan. Dok druge ptice traže mir, vrabac bira život. U Srbiji se gnezde četiri vrste vrabaca – pokućar, poljski, španski i kamenjar, koga ima i najmanje. Ipak, kada Beograđani kažu vra- bac, uglavnom misle na onog najpoznatijeg gradskog stanovni- ka, onog koji se mota oko pekara, kljuca mrvice na trotoaru i bez stida sleće tik uz stolove u baštama. Dakle, pokućar. On je druš- tven, stalno je u pokretu, uvek se nešto „raspravlja“ i nikada nije sam. Zanimljivo je i to da su vrapci često monogamni – imaju jed- nog partnera, a mužjaci umeju žestoko da čuvaju svoju teritoriju. Stari Beograđani verovali su i da se po njihovom ponašanju može predvideti vreme: kad se utišaju i sakriju po žbunju, stiže kiša; kad su glasni i razigrani, sledi sunčan dan. A onda postoji i legenda koja vrapca veže za istoriju grada. Priča kaže da je u 15. veku, tokom opsade Beograda, među telima stra- dalih pronađen vrabac proboden sa tri strele. Neki su u toj slici vi- deli čistu tragediju – malu pticu koja se našla na pogrešnom me- stu u pogrešno vreme. Drugi su verovali da je vrabac učestvovao u odbrani Beograda i svojim telom spasao tri života. Legenda je ostala kao snažan simbol: Beograd se oduvek branio i opstajao, čak i kada je delovalo da je previše mali pred velikim silama. Danas, kada u martu na Kalemegdanu ponovo počne cvrkut, vrabac je prvi koji se čuje. Kao da podseća Beograd da proleće dolazi, da se život vraća na ulice i da grad nikada ne ostaje dugo tih. Ali mart je važan i zato što tada slavimo ove ptičice na njihov međunarodni dan, koji se svake godine obeležava 20. u mese- cu. To je dan koji poštuje čitava planeta Zemlja, kao dan podiza- nja svesti i zaštite vrabaca, jedne od najsimpatičnijih i najpitomi- jih gradskih ptica. Svetski dan vrabaca ima cilj da rasvetli pitanja smanjenja njihove populacije i potrebe za njihovim očuvanjem. Zato sledeći put kad vidite vrapca, ne bacajte hleb, koji mu ško- di. Umesto toga mu dajte zrnevlje, pozdravite ga i zahvalite mu se što nam čuva Beograd.
Belgrade is home to a bird that doesn’t look exotic, doesn’t sing like a nightingale and doesn’t talk like a parrot, yet to Belgraders it is the most beloved and most beautiful bird in the world. In Belgrade the sparrow is considered both a symbol and a guardian. Indeed, it has long since been an informal symbol of the city. And why this bird in particular? Because the sparrow is everything that Belgrade represents in its most recognisable form: resource- ful, stubborn, fast, sociable, slightly cheeky and always present. While other birds seek peace, the sparrow chooses life. Four species of sparrow nest in Serbia: house sparrow, field spar- row, Spanish sparrow and rock sparrow, which is the rarest. How- ever, when Belgraders talk about “sparrows”, they are mostly refer- ring to the city’s most famous resident, the one who hangs around the bakeries, pecking crumbs from the pavement and landing shamelessly and fearlessly beside garden tables. So, the house sparrow. He is sociable, constantly on the move, always “chatter- ing” about something and never alone. It is interesting to note that sparrows are also often monogamous – they have a single part- ner, and the males are capable of guarding their territory fierce- ly. Old Belgraders also believed that their behaviour could predict the weather: when they grow quiet and take shelter in the bushes, rain is on its way; while a sunny day is sure to follow when they’re loud and playful. And then there’s the legend linking the sparrow to the history of the city. According to the story, during the siege of Belgrade in the 15 th century, a sparrow was found among the bodies of the fallen that had been hit by as many as three arrows. Some viewed the diminutive bird’s demise as a pure tragedy – a little bird that had happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time – while oth- ers concluded that the sparrow had participated in the defence of Belgrade and had saved three lives by using its body as a shield. That legend has remained as a powerful symbol: Belgrade has al- ways defended itself and endured, even when it seemed too small in the face of great powers. Nowadays, when the chirping in Kalemegdan Park starts again in March, the sparrow is the first to be heard – as if it is reminding Bel- grade that spring is on its way, that life is returning to the streets and that the city never stays quiet for long. But March is also im- portant as the month when we celebrate these birds on their inter- national day, which is commemorated every 20 th March. This date is respected around the entire planet as a day for raising aware- ness and protecting sparrows, which are among the dearest and tamest urban birds. World Sparrow Day aims to bring to light the fact that their population is in decline and that a need to conserve them exists. So, the next time you see a sparrow, don’t throw it harmful bread, but rather healthy grains. And as you greet it, be sure to also thank it for keeping Belgrade safe for us.
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