The City of Birds

Editor’s Note: Flying in and out of the City of Birds

Nature is magical and mysterious at the same time, in all it’s diversity. One of nature’s wondrous creations are birds, and humans have always been mesmerized by birds. We have been inspired by birds, and learnt flying based on bio-mimicry lessons from our flying co-habitants. Over time, from living in a city of birds, we are left with very few birds around us. The trend was reversed during the pandemic, when we saw birds reclaiming the city skies, and it was such a wonderful site. Join Bhumika Garg, as she shares her thoughts, knowledge and experiences about birds.

The Legacy of Birds

“Birds began humming and tweeting loudly at 5 AM or even earlier, and continued until 8 AM. It was very common to see birds flying from one tree to another and occupying all the branches of the trees. Not only mornings, but evenings were also filled with the melody of the birds such as the Cuckoo. It used to be a beautiful sight, but nowadays it’s rare to see one,” my father reminisced about his childhood, when birds were plentiful in and around the village where he grew up.

Although I haven’t seen many birds since my childhood, they have always fascinated me. I am intrigued by their vibrant colors, sweet voice, soft feathers, endless flights, and almost everything.

I always wondered why birds migrate, leaving their homes far behind. Then, I came to know that birds migrate thousands of kilometers away to find the best place for feeding, tending to, and raising their young ones.

Avian Memories

I still remember those summer vacations of 2014 when I returned from my maternal uncle’s home and saw a nest on the top of the fan in the lobby of my house. I was extremely surprised and asked my father about it. He told me that a couple of birds built this nest two days earlier.

After that, I watched those birds every day, coming in and going out of our main gate and feeding on whatever little they collected. We did not switch on the fan as we didn’t want them to leave.

But eventually, they left us one day and I still wonder why they did so. I loved them and I thought that they loved me too but I guess, that wasn’t true. Even though I did not particularly enjoy studying Science, I was all ears whenever the topic of ‘birds’ was discussed in class.

Special species of birds

It is believed that birds have evolved from dinosaurs. Did you know that there are more than 9000 species of birds all over the globe? Let us get to know some of these species of birds. I bet you may not have even heard of the Long-billed Vulture, Bengal Florican, Himalayan Quail, and Forest Owlet among others, because these are critically endangered birds of India. Fret not, I will tell you about a few of them which are my personal favorites.

Himalayan Quail

The Himalayan Quail is a medium-sized bird with a red and yellow beak and legs, as well as white markings around the eyes. It has a long and slender covert tail. They haven’t been spotted in over 125 years.

Forest Owlet

The Forest Owlet is quite different from other owls as it hunts during the day when it is visible and exposed to assaults by others. It seems to be very daring and adventurous by nature. Forest Owlet is only found in India and nowhere else in the world.

Kingfisher

Then, comes the Kingfisher noted for their spectacular dives into the water. These vocal, colorful birds are renowned for their dramatic hunting techniques.

Magpie

Have you ever heard about the most intelligent birds that have ever existed on earth? They are the common Magpies. Magpies have shown the ability to make and use tools, imitate human speech, grieve, play games and work in teams. They also perform funerals. They utilize self-made equipment to cut meals into appropriate sizes for their children.

Cuckoo

We all have heard about the Cuckoo bird, the famous singing bird of Europe. But did you know that only male Cuckoo birds can make the sound of ‘Cuck-oo, Cuck-oo’? It enjoys eating hairy caterpillars.

The robin flew from his swinging spray of ivy on to the top of the wall and he opened his beak and sang a loud, lovely trill, merely to show off. Nothing in the world is quite as adorably lovely as a robin when he shows off — and they are nearly always doing it.

Frances Hodgson Burnett

Birds During The Pandemic

Let me share with you one more experience of mine during the Covid-19 pandemic.

One fine morning in May 2020, I woke up at 6 AM and stepped out of my bed rubbing my eyes and yawning. To my surprise, I heard the chirping of birds. I couldn’t express that feeling of joy that filled my heart. I heard them chirping each morning for almost the next two months.

However, the voices soon faded away and one day, they completely disappeared into oblivion.

Soon I realized that birds were singing and chirping because there were minimum human activities on the roads and towns as almost everyone was at home. As people started to come out, birds went back to their homes silently, where we can’t disturb them or more precisely, harm them.

Related reads from the pandemic times

Birds in the City

There is no doubt that human activities, particularly in cities and urban areas, like clearing down forests, industrialization, mobile towers and their harmful radiation, have contributed to the deteriorating health and incidence of birds.

Birds matter to all of us, whether we realize it or not.

William Wordsworth

Despite the words of William Wordsworth, and many others, we do not seem to appreciate the importance of birds. As a race, humans appear to be so insensitive, that they will only comprehend the importance of birds, after having suffered as a consequence of disturbing the natural ecosystem and incurring the wrath of Mother Earth.

A Planet For All

Earlier, the planet used to be home to every species, be it plants, animals, birds, and humans. But the self centeredness of humans to acquire monopoly over all life forms, is swiftly leading to the imminent destruction of it all. A planet that used to be a city of birds and sweet voices has now been degraded into a hotbed of industrial greed, where everyone wants nothing but to earn money, one way or another.

Hopefully, those birds hiding somewhere will come back to the city which is looking for them. Some of us are eagerly awaiting their arrival.

About The Author

Bhumika Garg is a voracious reader with a passion for business and finance.
She is pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce at Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University and has a keen interest in subjects like Mathematics and Data Analysis.

Being an environment lover, she loves talking about birds and nature. In the article, she has tried to explain the beauty of nature by narrating some of her own stories.

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