This is the English version of the article published in the leading Tamil news daily ‘The Hindu’ in ‘Uyir Moochu’ (meaning life breath) on December 16, 2017. Ganeshwar SV
It is a well-known fact that all around the world several young people today are affected by stress and depression. Recent research has shown that bird watching can improve mental health. True, it is my saviour during tough times in life. It is a indeed a welcome sign that in India bird watching has started to emerge as one of the popular hobbies especially among the younger generation; a colourful and melodious hobby with full of fun!
When you are watching a bird, you can also hear many more calls and songs of other species too. Your eyes will see just one bird but ears will ‘see’ many birds. Isn’t that cool? The more you watch, the more you will enjoy and develop this eye-ear coordination skill which increases our powers of observation. Our Indian Ornithology has a glorious history, thanks to stalwarts like Hume, Jerdon, Hodgson, Blyth, Salim Ali and many other legends. Yet we don’t know a lot about our common birds and there are plenty of gaps in our knowledge and understanding. This opens up several opportunities for children to take this as a profession (or as a hobby) especially if they are interested in bird research.
Even before the questions like ‘Which is the largest bird in the world?’ Which bird lives in Antarctica?’ end, a child answers (Ostrich, Penguin) within no time. Those are birds which he may never see in his entire life unless he travels for Big Year. On the other hand, we don’t even know the names of our common birds. We must ask ourselves if we can name at least 10 tree species and 10 bird species around us. Of course, many of us can’t. So what’s the big deal in not knowing them? Let us understand that this is one of the many crucial points where our connection with Nature starts to get thinner. As we grow up into adults, some lose this connection totally. When I don’t even know what is around my home, how will I know their importance or try to understand their problems or how will I think about doing something to save them? Without collective participation, nothing is possible. So if we want people to realize the importance of local wildlife, we should show the importance and impacts in live!
THE CONCEPT OF DISTRICT BIRD
Similar to the national bird and state bird, wouldn’t it be really wonderful to have a district bird too? India has 641 districts (many more might be carved out in the future). India ranks No. 8 in the world in terms of bird diversity with more than 1200 species! According to my understanding, the Peacock could have been chosen as the national bird owing to its wide distribution, beauty, grace, elegance and also it features in our folklore and mythology. It is indeed a pride to have it as our national bird.
Correspondingly let us have a bird for our districts too. Let us take Tamil Nadu for example. Laughingthrushes won’t be present in coastal districts. Similarly, a species from coastal region will not occur in the Ghats. We have 32 districts in Tamil Nadu which means we have an excellent opportunity to introduce 32 different species which can fascinate our kids and make them realize the importance of the bird life around them. I am hopeful that this concept will be a good option to promote birding on a larger scale. It will evoke a curiosity among kids to see their district bird and that might be the opening for many to take up birding. This is not only about birds but it can also improve the lives of many children. Executing this idea and reaping the results may not be immediate but I am very positive that it is bound to create a good impact on children.
THE DISTRICT BIRD OF SALEM
Salem has bird diversity of more than 300 species. After analysing all previous published records as well as my observations from Salem, I have penned down few criteria based on which the district bird could be selected.
- The bird should be well distributed within the district boundaries.
- It should be easily seen OR easily recognizable to common man.
- It should be a flagship species to promote bird watching in the district.
- It should have conservation significance (threatened or endemic).
- It should feature in the mythology, folklore and traditions of the district. It should symbolise either beauty, power, endurance, adaptability, etc.,
Based on the above criteria, I propose ORIENTAL DARTER Anhinga melanogaster as the District Bird of Salem!
Why don’t we choose Crow, Myna, Parakeet or a Drongo? Well, there’s nothing wrong in choosing them. Emerald Dove (state bird of Tamil Nadu) has a good distribution and population. There are no immediate signs of decline. However, I don’t think any birder knows why it was chosen as our state bird. Ten years from today, when a little kid starts birding and asks, ‘Parakeets are present everywhere, so why was it chosen as a district bird?’ On the other hand, if we choose a bird which is endemic, threatened or even a common species which is showing signs of population decline, we can get the attention and participation from a wider audience.
‘Near Threatened’ DARTER
The Oriental Darter is a water bird. It almost exclusively feeds on fish. While it hunts, the head and neck alone is visible above the water surface, giving a snake like appearance and hence the name Snake Bird! IUCN has classified Darter under ‘Near Threatened’ category. The population is in decline and in future it may be pushed into the threatened category. Do we really want that to happen? No! The shape of the neck resembles the letter ‘S’ and it would be apt for Salem.
Birders can come together to discuss and choose/propose their district bird. It can also be discussed in the annual Tamil Birders Meet. Several organizations and groups can take it to different regions of the country.
If you are a birder reading this, do try something similar or even better than this to have a District Bird for your own district and please let me know through mail: [email protected].
As I am a birder, I have come up with this concept using birds as an example. Similarly, we can also have District Butterfly, Dragonfly, and Plants and so on. I am sure it will have a positive impact especially among children. Let us learn, appreciate and cherish all the local wildlife around us, not only for their sake but also to secure our own future!
