Why do Cormorants spread their wings?

Have you ever wondered why Cormorants spread their wings wide with a crucifixion-like posture , according of course a delight to watch with enough photography opportunities?

Well ! The most obvious reason of course is to dry their feathers after a swim or dive to catch their prey. However, there are some more explanations, with differing views and observations from experts. Number of theories have been propounded.

These include casting a shadow on the water to have a better vision to spot their next target, have a better balance on land, absorb heat to digest their food by exposing their bellies to the glow of the sun, to signal to other cormorants the availability of food or merely to rejoice their success in catching their target.

However, Dr Robin Sellers, a professional engineer and amateur ornithologist, having observed this posture of birds for years have negated most of these theories concluding that this posture is all about adapting to the wind to dry their feathers.

According to his findings published in published his findings in the journal Ardea, when the wind was up to, or more than, a strong breeze on the Beaufort scale (4 or more), cormorants spent, on average, 2.5 minutes standing like crucifixes. With hardly a flutter in the air (0 to 1 on the scale) they stood with their wings out for nearly five minutes and generally extended them further. The birds also faced the wind - more than half of them orienting within one compass point of its direction when conditions were virtually still, but more than 80 per cent when a good breeze got up. According to him, Cormorants tend to hold their wings out for longer in lower temperatures and when they had been under water for longer. Light rain reduced their fervour and heavy rain put a stop to any spreading at all.

If wing-spreading signalled feeding success, the birds would not do it when diving proved unsuccessful. And the theory of casting a shadow on the water only helps birds that adopt a stand-and-wait strategy - like herons - rather than those that dive as much as 10 metres down in murky water.

Dr Sellers calculated that between 30 and 90 grams of water have to be expelled from a cormorant's plumage after an average dive. It would need up to 222 kilojoules of body heat to evaporate it, an amount that could be sacrificed providing enough fish were caught to make up for the loss.

On the other hand, Dr David Gremillet of Neumunster Zoo in Germany says that wing- spreading may, after all, be a digestive aid. He found that cormorants that feed on cold fish held their wings out, often for 20 minutes and when fed on pre-warmed to cormorant body temperature hardly bothered to make a wing movement. His conclusion is that cormorants expose their bellies to absorb the sun's heat, a warm glow that aids the digestion.

Dr Chris Mead of the British Trust for Ornithology acknowledges that wing-drying and digestion aids may jointly explain the cormorant's striking stance. He says the heating up their food is the most important reason. Why else would cormorants be all black if it wasn't to absorb heat through their plumage?

Whatever may be the reason for their postures, Cormorant diving in the water, catching the fish and spreading their wings wide open with their black glistening bodies are a delight to watch.

The pictures are those of Little Cormorant were clicked in Thapli, Haryana, India during September, 2018 

Sacred or in distress ? A wake up call !

The Indian Roller,  Neelkanth,  is  considered a sacred bird in the Hindu Mythology but unfortunately this same belief brings enormous misfortune to this lovely bird known for its mid air acrobatics( and hence the name Roller). It gets its name Neelkanth because of its blue(Neel) throat (Kanth).  It is a reminder of Lord Shiva, the Neelkantha, when he drank poison and had a blue throat.  It is state bird of Karnataka, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and the Telangana. 

The Indian roller hip hops  in the air, careening and somersaulting to the delight of all those who watch it.  People consider it auspicious to see it on special occasions, especially Dushera and the Durga Puja. Its five colours are also reminiscent of the five Pandavas. People think to see it , it  will bring good fortune to them and all their sins will be washed away. This is mere superstition and like all other superstitions is far away from logic and truth. 

However, because of this belief ,  the Indian Roller get into lots of misery, suffering and pain. It is mercilessly  captured and put into cages to be shown to people for a charge during the festive season.  It is covered with cloth, its  wings are chopped or glued ,  its feet are tied with wire to refrain it  from flying away. When in captivity , it does eat grains and drink very little water. Often, it dies out of starvation and even when freed after the festive season, the chances of its survival are dim as by that time it  gets very weak. Another superstition is that if its wings are chopped and mixed with grass as feed for cows, the cows will yield more milk.

To end its torture and suffering, some well meaning NGOs , especially the International Humane Society, India have taken up the issue with the authorities. The efforts have yielded some results but more needs to be done. The bird needs your assurance that whenever you see it  trapped or being caged or tortured, you will come to its rescue The Indian Roller, the Neelkanth, needs you. You can call toll free helpline 1800 4255 564 or call International Humane Society at 91-7674922044. By the way, International Humane Society has launched awareness campaigns, including a wonderful one for the school going students, to educate people against the superstitions attributed to the bird. 

Indian Roller is protected under  the Schedule IV of the Wildlife(Protection) Act 1972. The penalty for violating this Act is a fine of Rupees Twenty Five Thousand or imprisonment. 

The Indian Roller was born to fly free to delight your eyes with its acrobatics in flight, to spread the joy and happiness of its very being. It will continue to do so, provided you come to its rescue. Will you?

 

Far from the maddening crowds to the calmness and serenity of the Nagar Van( City Forest) !

As Joshi family woke up on the auspicious RakshaBandan on August 26, a duck along with a train of her tiny 20 cute ducklings wandered into the backyard of highly populated Sector 22, Chandigarh residence. The family was at loggerheads at how these ducklings appeared in their backyard as there was no wetland, the natural habitat for the ducks.

Knob-billed Duck with her ducklings 

The rituals of RakshaBandan took a backseat for a while as the Joshi family's immediate concern was the safety and welfare of the duck and her ducklings. Staying calm , the family tried calling up various NGOs but to their dismay, they could not get through till they got in touch with Ms Dimple Bedi Kamra, a renowned bid and animal lover and rescuer who readily agreed to do her bit. It was indeed a huge challenge to gather the flock and relocate it. However, Ms Kamra's deft handling based on her skills, expertise and experience eventually yielded the results. The ducklings and their mother were put into a box, ready to be shipped to safety . These were the Knob-billed Ducks.

According to Mr Vikram Jit Singh in his column in Times of India, Chandigarh Edition, "This species prefers to lay eggs in a large natural hollow of an ancient tree in a wetland or by its shores. However, on occasion, the female duck lays eggs in tree hollows away from wetlands either due to lack of suitable trees or wetland disturbance or other reasons. This species has been photo-documented laying eggs in old, big houses or abandoned factories with large spaces in the roof. Old vulture nests, hollows in old fort walls and earth cliffs are also used for nesting by Comb ducks infrequently. The Joshi residence shares a boundary with a creche, which nurtures a thick, undisturbed grove of ancient trees. The Comb duck is most likely to have nested in one of the creche's trees. After the ducklings were born, the wandering mother duck in a vain, desperate search for a wetland led her brood into the Joshi residence. The problem is that when Comb ducks nest so far away from wetlands and amid dense urbanisation, the brood gets marooned and faces threats from dogs, cats, vehicle hits and human abductors. The ducklings, along with the mother, have to be caught and translocated to a suitable wetland."

The bird along with her ducklings were shipped to the recently established Nagar Van (City Forest) where they were released into one of the wet bodies. Interacting with me along with my fellow birders, Mr J.K.Ranjan, the Officer in Charge of the Nagar Van said that the bird and her ducklings are indeed enjoying the calmness and serenity of the Nagar Van. They are indeed the star attraction of the Van. In the same water body we could also see a family of spot-billed ducklings.

The Nagar Van has a rich natural biodiversity where one could see a large species of birds such as Kingfishers, Water Birds, Parakeets, Drongos, Cuckoos, Peacocks, Doves, Shikra , hornbills ( including the Pied ones). The Chandigarh Forest Department has set-up a hide for bird photographers to enable them take some good photographs of birds that sit on the perches around the water and food arrangements for the birds. A large number of butterflies including the beauty, Helen Butterfly were seen fluttering around while various kinds of beetles and insects were spotted. There was greenry all around with thick forest area. If one is lucky one could also see Sambar and other species of deer. However, one needs to watch his or her steps as the area does have snakes including the Cobra and the Russel Viper.

Nagar Van is indeed a laudable initiative of the Chandigarh Forest Department to give the residents of Chandigarh, the City Beautiful a gift of nature.

The Masters Craftsmen at work!

Master Craftsmen at Work ! 

During the monsoons, in this part of the country and elsewhere, it is a common sight that birds of sparrow-size with bright yellow crowns, dark brown masks, blackish brown bills, upper parts dark brown streaked with yellow, yellow breasts and cream buff below busy weaving beautiful nests. These are the Baya Weavers known for their unique nest-building capabilities that may have taught humans their first lessons on how to weave intricate designs and construct marvels of civil engineering. Weaver birds’ nests demonstrative of their fantastic unmatched skills and the hard work that goes behind them are one of the most sophisticated ones among the bird nests. Amazingly the nests are 100 per cent water proof that can withstand even huge storms as hardly any nest has been seen falling off.

Male Baya weavers elaborately weave nests that hang pendulously from mostly palm trees or thorny Acacias. The nests are retort-shaped, with a central nesting chamber and a long vertical tube that leads to a side entrance to the chamber. The opening is placed on the east side of the tree, proving shelter from South-west monsoons. The nests are woven with long strips of paddy leaves, rough grasses and long strips torn from palm fronds. Each strip can be between 20 and 60 cm in length. It has been estimated that the male bird makes around 500 trips to weave the nest which takes 18 days to complete with about eight days for the intermediate "helmet stage".

The nests are woven with long strips of paddy leaves, rough grasses and long strips torn from palm fronds. Each strip can be between 20 and 60 cm in length. The bird uses its strong conical beak to strip and collect the strands to weave and knot them with its beak and feet while building its nest. Even though isolated nests are not unknown, Baya Weavers mostly build their nests in colonies.

The nest building exercise of Male Baya Weavers is an important and integral step in courtship as the quality and location of the nest determines if the female selects the “builder” or not. The nest is partially built before the male begins to display to passing females by flapping its wings and calling while hanging from its nests. The females inspect the nest and signal its acceptance of a male. Once a male and a female are paired, the male goes on to complete the nest by adding the entrance tunnel. Males are almost solely in charge of nest building, though its female partner may join in giving the finishing touches, especially on the interiors It is believed that the female gives due importance to the location, even more than the structure. They prefer nests high in trees near water and food source rather than those over dry land and on thin branches. If even after few days, if no female occupies the nest, the male weaver will itself destroy the nest and start all over again. It is believed that a single bird may build up to 50 nests in a single mating season before eventually making the perfect one for the female to reside. Once the nest is occupied by the female, the male baya weaver rejoices merrily as if it is on the top of the world. Why not? After all, its labour has been well recognized and appreciated.

Since so much labour goes into building the nest, it would be cruel if we pluck these intricate structures to decorate our own homes with them as some people just do it that way or even just for a thrill. Please do not. Have a heart for these beautiful little birds that have taught mankind the art of weaving, civil engineering and quality and safety consciousness.

Pictures were taken in Thapli, Haryana, India on 19 August 2018 from a distance taking the necessary precautions not to disturb or distract the birds.

The Family of Barbets !

The family of Barbets!

Barbets get their name from the fine bristles at the bases of their stout sharp bills. According to S. Dillon Ripley,  there are sixty six species of Barbets found from Central America to Northern Southern America , Sub-Saharan Africa and South East Asia eastward only to Borneo and Bali. They belong to the family of Capitonidae (order Piciformes).  There are about a dozen species in India. However, I have so far been able to click only four of them in the Chandigarh Region (Punjab, Haryana and Himachal). These are the Great Barbet, Brown-headed Barbet, the Blue-throated and the Coppersmith Barbet.

Common attributes of Barbets include their big-head with short tails, measuring from 9 to 30 cms, their posture of sitting stolidly on treetops, their loud continuous repetitive calls jerking their heads and tails,  and their food habits  primarily include fruits and berries with  insects mostly winged termites, lizards and birds’ eggs during the breeding season providing proteins for their chicks  and their building of nests in cavities of trees chiseled with their stout and sharp beaks similar to woodpeckers.  (However, one genus, Caloramphus, is said to excavate nesting holes out of termite nests, and an African form is reported to nest in holes in the ground--(T. margaritatus) vide Friedmann (1930: 463)).  They are either green or brownish with splashes of bright colours or white and their eggs are white and rounded, thin-shelled and rather glossy. The flight of these non-migratory birds is fluttering, often appearing clumsy, and not long sustained.

The Great Barbet

The great Barbet is the largest of all. Plump with a short neck, large head and short tail, Great Barbet has a blue head, large yellow bill, brown back and breast, green-streaked yellow belly and red vent while rest of the plumage is green.  It is found in lower-to-middle altitudes of the Himalayas ranging across Northern India, Nepal and Bhutan, Bangladesh, and some parts of South East Asia as far as Laos. The accompanying photograph was clicked in Chaki Mod in Himachal Pradesh where they are found in plenty. I have also observed this bird in Chandigarh, Panchkula and Thapli Village. Its calls include “key-oh”, “keeab” and a repetitive “piou- piou- piou- piou”.

The Brown-headed Barbet

The brown-headed barbet also known as the Green Barbet measures 25 to 30 cms and weighs 100 to 140 grams. Its overall plumage is green, while its head, throat, neck and breast are brownish with prominent pale streaks on head, mantle and breast. There is distinctive large yellowish orange patch surrounding the eyes. The feet are grayish yellow. Its call is either twice repeated ‘pro-kok’ or repeated “kutroo-kuttroo” sound. It is wide-spread in the Indian sub-continent and is found both in urban gardens and countryside being fairly tolerant of humans. .  It is closely related to the  White-cheeked Barbet  that has prominent white cheek patch and white spots on the under parts and is  familiar to bird-watchers from South India and the Lineated Barbet  found in  the Himalayas, E and NE  bold white streaking on head, upper mantle and breast extending to the centre of the belly

 The accompanying photograph was clicked from my balcony in Modern Housing Complex, Manimajra, and Chandgarh

Blue-throated Barbet

The Blue-throated barbets have blue, green and red plumage and measure 23 to 28 cms weighing 78 to 103 grams. They are widespread residents of hills of Himalayas, Thailand, Central Laos and Vietnam.  They frequent evergreen forest and deciduous forests, gardens, orchids, teak forests and cities with fruiting trees.

The accompanying photograph was clicked in Chaki Mor in Himachal Pradesh.

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Coppersmith Barbet

The Coppersmith Barbet is the tiniest of the Barbets in India. It is a short, stocky bird, with a leaf-green about the size of a fat sparrow with a crimson breast and forehead, a lemon-yellow throat that allows it to remain well-camouflaged in the canopy of a tree. The bird gets its name from its distinctive call which is said to resemble the sound that a coppersmith makes by beating sheets of copper with a mallet. This barbet makes this sound – a rather monotonous one that only varies in loudness and tempo – by inflating a patch of bare skin on both sides of its throat, with the beak remaining shut.

The accompanying photograph was clicked in Thapli, Haryana.

'Hidhud' of Culture

'Hudhud' of Culture

Ever since my childhood, I have been fascinated by the “crown of feathers’ of  Hoopoe   with its long tapering bill, foraying for insects and seeds in our school ground with its distinct call that gave its nomenclature. Little I knew that this bird was centre-piece of cultural ethos spanning across continents of Asia, Africa and Europe , with number of folktales woven around it.  

Hoopoe  is distinguished by its colorful complexion, its long, swooping beak and slicked back tuft of hair. The bird builds its nest in tree holes and has a notoriously fetid odor, keeping excrement in its lair to ward off intruders. To protect the nest from predators, the hoopoes use a wide variety of defenses. The female produces a foul-smelling secretion from her glands, and coats the plumage of the chicks with it. This smell keeps predators and parasites away, while also acting as an antibacterial agent. Also, a week after hatching, the babies can shoot streams of their feces towards predators, while hissing loudly like a snake to scare them away. The birds may also stab with their sharp bills, and hit out with their wings, when threatened.

In Islamic tradition , it is believed that Hoopoe obtained its golden crest from King Solomon for “not paying homage to women.” As the story goes, Hoopoe was hunted for the golden crest and finally pleaded with the King to remove its Golden Crest. The king turned that golden crest into fine feathers. The relationship of the bird does find reference in the holy book, the Quran. When the King declared publically to punish Hoopoe for its absence in the court, Hoopoe who was eavesdropping returned to tell the King that he found a thing that the King had not comprehended. It said that he has come from Sheba with some happy “tidings.” Sheba later became the Kings Queen. The saying, “ A little bird told me….”  probably originated from this event.  Unsure about the queen's purity and motives, Solomon confided in the bird and trusted its advice. The king also praised the hoopoe's observation techniques and called it "wise." In Quran , it is called “Hudhud”.

There is an interesting  though infamous tale in “Metamophese” by Ovid. King Terus of Thrace rapes the sister named Philomela of his wife Procene and cuts off her tongue. Procene as a revenge kills their son Itys and serves as a stew to his father. When Terus sees the head of the boy, he picks up the sword to kill the sisters but they turn into birds, Philomela into a nightingale , Procene into a swallow while he himself becomes a hoopoe. The bird’s crest is believed to project his royal status and its long sharp beak is a indicative of the violent nature.

In Oriental-Semitic traditions, the hoopoe is considered as a waterfinder, a natural “opener”. The hoopoe is said to be able to see through the earth and reveal hidden springs, endearing it to those living in desert areas. In Persian culture, it is seen as a bird of virtue.

In the epic Persian poem “The Conference of Birds” or “the Speech of Birds” by Attar of Nishapur, birds from across the world gather to decide who shall be their leader. Hoopoe, being wisest of all, suggest that they need to find the legendary bird Simrogh for which they will have to cross the seven valleys of Quest, Love, Knowledge, Detachment, Unity,  Wonderment, Poverty and Annihilation. On hearing the description of these valleys, they bow their heads in distress; some even die of fright right then and there. But despite their trepidations, they begin the great journey with Hoopoe leading the journey. On the way, many perish of thirst, heat or illness, while others fall prey to wild beasts, panic, and violence. Finally, only thirty birds make it to the abode of Simorgh where they see their own reflection in a lake. They eventually understand that they themselves are the Simorgh; the name “Simorgh” in Persian means thirty (si) birds (morgh).

 In Egypt, during the time of the Pharaohs, it was regarded as sacred. The same applied in Minoan Crete, where it was depicted on wall paintings in temples and tombs.  Even today it remains a popular status symbol, being chosen in 2008 as the national bird of Israel .

Seek the bird, the bird seeks you

An internal debate had been going on within me for quite some time whether I should be contend with bird photography or be a serious birder. Is birding different from bird photography? Can both be relative to each other? Why take all the risk of going deep into the forest area when one can see all these birds in zoo and click as many pictures as one wants on a single day? Or am I inflicted by Histrionic Personality Disorder (HPD)  that seeks approval and praise in the form of positive comments and ‘likes’ on the facebook and elsewhere? And the top one, why take the pains at all when photographs of all the birds, including those that do not exist today , are available on the internet along with their description like their structure,  colour, behaviour, nesting practices, distribution and their food habits?

There are no easy answers. However, the clue perhaps lie in a well-intended statement from a friend, Arvind Syal who says “ Birding is a spiritual journey that lets you get connected with nature and brings you inner joy when you find a bird in its natural habitat. The joy is enhanced when you share that joy with others what you saw.”   You can be a good birder without being a photographer as birding is all about observing and studying the behaviour of the birds, their habitat, their distribution, food etc. However, you cannot be a good bird photographer without being a good birder. If you know when and where the bird will perch and how will it fly away , be rest assured you will be able to take your dream shot.   If you know the bird, you will be able to click it.

Well then both birding and bird photography are serious subjects and need to be practiced within some sort of framework. Let me leave the finer aspects of photography to those who understand the intricacies of equipments such as exposure, light compensation, f-stops , shutter speed, ISO and post processing softwares such as photoshop and lightroom . Enough manuals on that are available and the skills can be honed with self-experimentation, experience and practice. Let me just share few general does and don’ts of birding and bird photography. The list is not exhaustive.

1.      Seek the bird. The bird seeks you !

Birding is all about connecting your inner-self with the bird. You are into birding because you love these beautiful creatures on the wings. If you want to be a good birder, you got to love the birds.

Think deeply about the bird you intend to see and the bird shall appear from nowhere provided, of course, that that bird belongs to that area. Sounds philosophical? Try it and you will not be disappointed. Many a times, I have practiced this principle and many of my birding colleagues have experienced the same.

You need to observe and study the bird very minutely with focused attention. So what if you are not able to take a photograph this time, there will always be a next time. It is not the end of the world, it is only a beginning to a beautiful journey. Observing the bird, its perching habit, its flying mode, and its courtship are wonderful and part and parcel of the journey of birding. Enjoy the moments and in the process you become acquainted with its world. Once acquainted, clicking a good picture is not a big deal. Trust me.

Patience is the key to successful birding. Do not expect every time you go you will find a bird in a whiff. You need to be patient

2.     Everyone loves privacy!

You have every right to maintain your privacy so does everyone else. The birds also have the right to their privacy. Do not be too invasive. If you invade their privacy, they just fly away and even desert the place for all times to come. Maintain a safe distance. Make the bird feel comfortable and then slowly move to a manageable distance but certainly not too close that gives the bird a feeling that you are a danger to it.

3.     Dress up for the occasion!

We are talking about a framework. A framework requires some sort of discipline. No?  Do not wear colourful clothes that distract the birds. Camouflage is the best choice.  . You are there for a purpose and a proper uniform will lend credence to that purpose and also make you responsible. Take pride in your birding uniform.  By the way, take care of your feet with proper shoes. You will get so engrossed in observing the birds that there are chances you slip if your soles are not gripping types. Wear trekking or adventure shoes that have fine grip on the soil and the rocks and mind you if you are in the mountain forest area, the fallen pine needles  are very oily and  slippery even though they look dry. Develop the habit of watching your steps without losing an eye on the bird. Sounds difficult?  I know but then you don’t have to step on some reptile and get bitten. That could be dangerous.

4.     Do not be a babbler!

Even a slight sound can distract the bird. They intercept the sound waves more efficiently than we humans. Control your excitement. Hurray can wait for another day and certainly no hurray while birding.

5.      Keep your eyes and ears open but do not lose them!

Have you heard about Eric John Hosking?  He was a fine bird photographer  who lost one of his eyes in an attack by Tawny owl that he was trying to photograph. After the surgery , he again went and photographed the same bird. What a  commitment !

However, what I meant by keeping your eyes and ears open is to have strong eyesight to find the birds that hide so well among the tree branches and also be familiar with their sounds and calls. In your free time do some eye exercises and familiarize with bird sounds available on audio books and YouTube. Ideally, you should be equipped with binoculars.

6.     Control your mind and your limbs !

Birding is a form of meditation. Control your mind and sit still. Even a faint flicker of your arms will warn the bird. They have perfect eyesight. Some birds can watch 360 degrees. Sounds fantastic? But it is a fact.  From a great distance they can detect an insect or a caterpillar.

If you are in a group and have seen a bird, do not point a finger at it to focus attention of your birding colleagues. Just tell them the place in as soft tone as possible.

7.     Do not be an invader!

You are birder and not a member of a hunting gang that is out there to corner the bird from all sides.  If you cannot go solo,  ideally you should have two to three to accompany you for birding. If your group is large, divide it into small teams that go in different spots but do not gang up at the same spot.

8.     It is not your call . If you love mimicry, go the theatre!

There is a huge ethical issue that needs to be addressed. Some  have learnt the birding calls and employ this “art” to attract the birds. Some even play audio tapes to attract the birds. Please do not do it. You are confusing the birds and leaving them disappointed. If you find someone doing it, restrain him or her and if does not mend, part ways. Probably societal isolation will do the trick.

9.     Do not starve them to death after you leave!

Bird tourism is on the rise and with it all kinds of corrupt practices.  Hides have propped up where the organizer places all kinds of food stuff to attract the birds. At times, the food kept there is not the birds’ natural food. The result is that the birds develop the habit of taking that and do not relish their natural food. Ultimately, diseases strike them and they die. I am not against hides or bird tourism.  We can plant fruit bearing  trees or make the natural  habitat healthier to attract the birds in a better manner. Some kind of regulation by the forest department would help but as birders, we need to discourage the hides that follow this practice by not patronizing them.

10.  It is not party time!

Agreed  that you had a fruitful day and you were able to see some unique bird or a bird that you were seeing for the first time. Every success needs to be celebrated. Fine ! but not at the birding site with glaring music , winning and dancing. Celebrations may be done in the comfort of you homes or at some restaurant. And please for heaven sake, do not litter the place with water bottles and snack packets that you may have brought with you for your birding trip. Clean the mess up before you leave

11.  Log it. Share it!

Share your sightings and observations on sites like ebird . For all you know you may have sighted a rare bird. Even otherwise such data will come handy for study of conservation and migration of birds.

As I said earlier, the list is not exhaustive. Leave your feedback and further suggestions  at jatindervijh@gmail.com .