“People release caged exotic birds, little realising that they don’t have what it takes to survive in this part of the world. These are aviary-bred birds and if released they can’t fly long distances, or find food,” says Geeta Seshamani from Wildlife SOS, which runs an official bird and animal rescue helpline in Delhi. They rescued three budgerigars and one cockatiel this week. They claim to rescue close to 200 budgerigars from Delhi every year. “There are people in the city who buy exotic birds and then release them out of compassion or religious sentiment. Regretfully, the action is counterproductive. These birds can’t survive here. If released, they are nothing more than crow feed,” says Kartick Satyanarayan from Wildlife SOS.