Thiruvananthapuram’s green cover has helped many bird species thrive in urban and suburban gardens

These days Madhava Kurup wakes up to the cuckoo’s call. As the eastern horizon is still turning rosy, the cuckoo in his garden is joined by early birds such as magpie robins, tailor birds and white-cheeked barbets, all searching for breakfast in his garden or in the neighbourhood. Once the early rays of the morning flood his garden and flowers bloom, purple-rumped sunbirds, Loten’s sunbirds with their sickle-like beaks and tiny pale-billed flower peckers flock in to drink nectar, filling the surroundings with their chirping and chatter as they hop from one blossom to the other.

Madhav, Associate Professor at the Asian School of Business, and an ardent naturalist, explains that many birds have a range of tweets and bird songs. He says with a laugh that even the cuckoo can sound raucous and angry, much like someone having angry words with another person. “Mynahs have an entire vocabulary of chirps and sounds while the harsh chatter of the  Rufous treepie, which is found in plenty in the city now, is occasionally replaced by melodious notes. One can watch these birds for hours and not get tired even for a moment,” says Madhav.

Even as the Great Backyard Bird Count from February 17 to 20 had naturalists and birders keeping an eye on the feathered flocks in their neighbourhood, for ardent bird watchers, every day of the year is an occasion to tune in to the bird population in their vicinity.

Wildlife photographer and filmmaker Suresh Elamon says that Thiruvananthapuram’s green cover and diverse habitat make it an interesting place for birders. In 2011, he filmed the inhabitants in his garden at his home in Karamana. It included reptiles, insects and birds.

Suresh says that in the city, one of the early risers is the magpie robin that begins the day with a score of mellifluous notes. In fact, health practitioners aver that rising with the birds is one of the best ways to start the day.  The Guardian reported that a recent poll in UK to mark garden wildlife count in the world showed that watching birds and listening to bird song have a positive impact on our well-being.

Agreeing with the report, Dr Kalesh Sadasivan, a plastic surgeon and avid wildlife enthusiast, says that he does not participate in the bird count but is a keen birder every day of the year. “I enjoy it for the opportunities it gives me to be in the company of nature.”

Dr Kalesh says that there are different varieties of birds one can spot all through the day and the night. “Mynahs, bulbuls, crows and pigeons are active from morning to sunset and so are house sparrows. But as the urban environment changes drastically, it has affected the population of house sparrows. Once, they were found in plenty near grain markets in Chala and Palayam. But supermarkets have reduced the availability of grain, so they can be seen only in certain pockets. Moreover, the kind of birds in our gardens depends on the surroundings of our residence,” explains Kalesh.

The flash of brilliant blue seen near ponds and water bodies is usually the white-breasted kingfisher that emits a series of high-pitch squeaks. Another commonly heard bird is the black-rumped flameback woodpecker. Its tapping sound is distinctive as it bores into a tree or coconut palm to find food or even shelter. Woodpeckers are usually heard after the sun is in the sky and just before dusk.

Crow pheasants with ruby red eyes, russet and black feathers are found all over the city, usually in the morning or late afternoon. Their distinctive deep call is frequently heard in places with a little natural greenery.

Bird watchers point out that kingfishers and Lesser flameback woodpeckers were a common sight in the city as there were plenty of waterbodies, coconut palms and stately old trees. As concrete jungles replaced the trees and water bodies, kingfishers and woodpeckers are becoming rare in the city.

Once the sun is up in the sky, raptors such as Pariah kites and Brahminy kites can be seen hovering in the sky or swooping down on a prey. These birds screech loudly. As one move towards the wooded areas in the suburbs of the city, plenty of shikra sparrow hawks can be spotted.

Flocks of rosy-ringed parrots can be seen feasting on the seeds of certain trees. And now many have peacocks in their gardens, a sign that the city’s wetlands are becoming scarce.

Dr Kalesh says the white headed babbler, known as kariyila kili, is a bird found in plenty in Thiruvananthapuram, Palakkad and Thrissur as it prefers drier areas to the wetlands. Palm swifts, usually found in place where there are palms, and small green bee eater are some of the feathered inhabitants of the city and its suburbs.

“If you have paddy fields or water bodies in your neighbourhood, you can see the Indian pond heron, Little egret, Big egret and Night herons. By evening, the Indian white-breasted waterhen ( kulakozhi) becomes vocal, with loud croaky calls,” adds Dr Kalesh.

By sunset, when most of the birds that are active during the day nest, nocturnal birds like the owls can be heard hooting. The most common one in the city is the barbed jungle owlet. “These birds can be heard in many horror films in Malayalam! Barn owl and Brown Hawk owls can be spotted flitting around silently at night,” says Dr Kalesh.

“To enjoy the company of birds, there has be greenery around our neighbourhood, which provides them with food and shelter. To ensure that the bird diversity and population in the city remains as it is, we have to protect the green cover and waterbodies around us,” says Madhav.