Life At Mitthi

They say it is one of the birds which has adapted well to urbanization. But I could never spot or hear them while staying in the city, neither in Ahmedabad nor in Chennai. My early memories of this bird are of the times when we have been to Himachal or Uttarakhand. Hence I thought they were only found in colder regions of India. So, when I first spotted a bulbul in my garden, i was overjoyed. Thankfully it was not a one-off sighting, they are regular visitors at Mitthi. One of the most talkative bird with a very distinct voice. Ptigroo, ptigroo… or pic pic ptigroo…. almost like big rain drops falling onto some metal! No wonder the Persians named the bird – BulBul- after the word ‘BolBol’ meaning a Nightingale. An apt name even by its Hindi meaning (which is talkative). 😊 Bulbul is a monogamous bird and usually bonds for life. I have mostly seem them in pairs. When one of them is not around, their call is distinctly different. The way it tilts its head before calling...

I started the birds in my backyard series with our national bird, Peacock. And coincidentally this one happens to be the national bird of our neighboring country- Bangladesh. A bird majorly black in color with dark blue hue on its head, has white underbelly and a streak of it on the wings and the tail. Perches on trees and branches not too high or hops along the ground foraging for food under the dried leaves. An extremely noticeable bird not only due to its color which is stark contrast to its surroundings, but more so for its sweet and melodious call made during early mornings or evenings. I have mostly spotted oriental magpies in farms, gardens and bushes near villages so I assume they like to stay close to humans. By now I can identify 3 to 4 different calls of this bird but yet to know what it means ( work in progress). It is very amusing to see its tail flick up and down in sync with its sallies. Quiet similar to the tail of the squirrel which moves involuntaril...