Nowadays Madhav wakes up to the call of the ugly cuckoo. As the eastern horizon is still turning pink, the cuckoos in her garden are joined by early birds such as magpie robins, tailor birds and white-cheeked barbets, all searching for breakfast in her garden or in the neighborhood. Once the morning rays fill her garden and the flowers are in bloom, purple-winged sunbirds, Lotan’s sunbirds with their sickle-like beaks and small yellow-billed flower beaks come to drink nectar, chirping all around And chatter and jump from flower to flower.
Male Asian Koel aka Koel. , photo credit: Madhav Kurup
Madhav, associate professor at the Asian School of Business and an avid naturalist, explains that many birds have a variety of tweets and bird songs. He laughs and says that the cuckoo can also make hoarse and angry sounds, just like a person talking to another person in angry words. “The myna has a whole vocabulary of chirps and sounds, while the harsh chatter of the rufous treepie, now so found in the city, is occasionally replaced by melodious notes. One can watch these birds for hours and Doesn’t get tired even for a second,” says Madhav.
Flocks of rufous treepie are a common sight in Thiruvananthapuram | Photo credit: Madhav Kurup
Even the Great Backyard Bird Count from February 17 to 20 had naturalists and birders keeping tabs on feathered flocks in their neighborhoods, for avid bird watchers, every day of the year to tune into the bird populations around them. has an opportunity. ,
Wildlife photographer and filmmaker Suresh Elmon says Thiruvananthapuram’s green cover and diverse habitat make it an interesting destination for birdwatchers. In 2011, he filmed Residents in his garden at his home in Karamna. This included reptiles, insects and birds.
The magpie robin, often seen in the gardens of Thiruvananthapuram, has many melodious calls. , photo credit: Madhav Kurup
Suresh says that in the city, one of the early risers is the magpie Robin who starts the day on a melodious note. In fact, health practitioners say that waking up with the birds is one of the best ways to start the day. Guardian reported that a recent survey in the UK to characterize the number of garden wildlife in the world showed that watching birds and listening to birdsong have a positive effect on our well-being.
Yellow Beaked Flower Chudai | photo credit: Madhav Kurup
Agreeing with the report, Dr Kalesh Sadasivan, plastic surgeon and avid wildlife enthusiast, says that he does not participate in bird counts, but is a keen birder every day of the year. “I enjoy it for the opportunities I get to be with nature.”
A woodpecker preparing its nest for the coming season. , Photo Credit: S Gopalkumar
Dr. Kalesh says that different varieties of birds can be seen during day and night. “Mynahs, bulbuls, crows and pigeons are active from dawn to sunset and so are the house sparrows. But as the urban environment has changed drastically, it has affected the house sparrow population. Once upon a time, they were found in abundance near grain markets in Chala and Palayam. But supermarkets have reduced the availability of cereals, so they can only be seen in certain pockets. Also, the type of birds in our gardens depend on the environment we live in,” explains Kalesh.
Black Drongo | photo credit: Madhav Kurup
The brilliant blue-colored glowbirds seen near ponds and water bodies are usually white-breasted kingfishers that emit a series of high-pitched squeaks. Another commonly heard bird is the Black Rumped Flameback Woodpecker. Its tapping sound is distinctive as it pierces a tree or coconut palm to find food or shelter. Woodpeckers are usually heard after the sun is in the sky and just before dusk.
A crow pheasant dries its feathers. , Photo Credit: Lingaraj Panda
The crow pheasant with ruby red eyes, scarlet plumage and black plumage is found throughout the city, usually in the early morning or late afternoon. Their distinctive deep call is often heard in areas with little natural vegetation.
Bird watchers point out that kingfishers and lesser flameback woodpeckers were a common sight in the city as there were plenty of water bodies, coconut palms and stately old trees. As concrete jungles have replaced trees and water bodies, kingfishers and woodpeckers are becoming rarer in the city.
Brahmini Kites | photo credit: Madhav Kurup
Once the sun is up in the sky, raptors like the Paria Kite and the Brahminy Kite can be seen hovering in the sky or swooping down on prey. These birds scream loudly. As you move towards the wooded areas in the suburbs of the city, a lot of white sparrowhawks can be seen.
Common tailor birds are shy songbirds that are found in abundance in Thiruvananthapuram’s urban gardens Photo Credit: Madhav Kurup
Flocks of succulent ringed parrots can be seen feasting on the seeds of some trees. And now many people have peacocks in their gardens, a sign that the city’s wetlands are becoming scarce.
Dr. Kalesh says known as the White Headed Babbler curry chili, is a bird found in abundance in Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad and Thrissur as it prefers dry areas rather than wetlands. Palm swifts, usually found in places where there are palms, and small green bee-eaters are some of the winged inhabitants of the city and its suburbs.
When the sun is in the sky and the flowers are in bloom, sunbirds come to visit. , Photo Credit: Krishnan VV
“If there are paddy fields or water bodies in your neighbourhood, you can see Indian pond herons, little herons, great herons and night herons. By evening, the Indian white-breasted water fowl ( Kulkozhi) becomes vocal with a loud screeching call,” says Dr Kalesh.
Sparrows, once a common sight in the markets of Thiruvananthapuram, can now be seen only in pockets. , Photo Credit: Ramesh Kurup S
At sunset, when most birds that are active during the day are nesting, nocturnal birds such as owls are heard hooting. The most common in the city is the barbed forest owl. “These birds can be heard in many horror films in Malayalam! Barn owls and brown hawk owls can be seen flying silently at night,” says Dr Kalesh.
The White Cheeked Barbet is commonly found on fruit trees in Thiruvananthapuram. , photo credit: Madhav Kurup
“For birds to enjoy the company of, we have greenery around us, which provides them food and shelter. To ensure that the diversity and population of birds in the city remains intact, we have to protect the green cover and water bodies around us,” says Madhav.