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Common Myna: Welcoming The Newcomers?

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Good morning! Hope you are had a great week. As you have already read, July marks the beginning of a new season with fresh visitors. A new couple has entered our bird community.  It's the Common Mynas.  Mr. and Mrs. Mynas narrowed their search for a new home in our neighbourhood. The Myna couple is quite private moving and doing things together. They have yet to interact with the rest of the members of the community. We, the birds, are also curious but keep our distance. "We don't want to turn them away, but we need to be cautious. Have you ever looked into their eyes? "Ms. Sparrow remarked. Mr. Bulbul, ever cheerful, chimed in, "Yes, their eyes are beautiful, but they are also sharp and piercing. They seem to be constantly observing and watching us. But it's their call that bothers me." "Yes, indeed. They appear to be making fun of our activities. It's their chuckle-like call that gives this impression "Ms. Sparrow agreed. She

Red-Vented Bulbuls: Rains Are Here!

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Finally, it's here! Rains.  Our prayers and songs were answered. Last week, the heavens opened up and showered us with raindrops. The thirsty and dry plants could replenish their resources leading them to refresh and revive their green and vibrant foliage. The smell of fresh new leaves and flowers spread an intoxicating aroma in the surroundings. Water holes filled up and delicious, fat insects ventured out of their holes. The earth is moist and not dry. Nature's bounty is on full display during monsoons. We absolutely love the rains.  Mr. and Ms. Red-Vented Bulbul enjoying the first 'real' showers of the season. No longer do we have spend the day hiding from the heat. Play time extends from dawn to night. The happy-go-lucky Bulbul family can't stop showing their enthusiasm. The couple can be seen hopping, jumping, and chatting at the same time.  When asked the cause for their excitement? Ms. Bulbul replied, "We had to wait half-a-year to get some r

Pied Cuckoo: The Handsome Visitor

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Greetings, birds! How was your week? We have been struggling as the monsoon season continues to play hide and seek with us. It is so hot and humid. But we remain optimistic and continue to sing our monsoon songs to please the Rain Gods. We love monsoons not only because it lowers the temperature, but also because it means it's time to meet new birds. These birds are fascinating to encounter since they fly across continents and oceans. And there is one in particular that we all watch out for, especially the ladies. The dashing Mr. Pied Cuckoo.  Mr. Pied Cuckoo is extremely attractive with his blackish-blue coat that contrasts beautifully with his white underbelly. His tail is long and black with slight white spots. Mr. Cuckoo's hair isn't cut, so his crest has spiky ruffles that sway with his delicate movements. His dark, melancholy eyes pierce your soul. The highlight, however, is when he serenades everyone, young and old, male and female, with his shrill call. He i

Indian Scops Owl: Keeping An Eye On The Bullies

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Most birds are dozing off in their nests at night. One bird, nevertheless, starts to move around. It keeps an eye on all of the community's nighttime activities. The Indian Scops Owl lives by himself. He doesn't spend much time interacting with the other birds because he is most active at night. He also never shows up for morning meetings. Many birds had recently voiced their displeasure over the nighttime barking coming from the streets. This happened more than once. Only one person could explain it because it was happening at night. Therefore, Mr. Indian Scops Owl was invited to the following community meeting, which was conducted late at night. Here is what Mr. Indian Scops Owl had to say- "Good morning to all! It is fantastic to finally catch up with the other birds. What appears to be going on? Why did everyone come here late at night? ", asked Mr. Indian Scops Owl after his customary gruff welcome. The Babbler sisters spoke in unison "Oh! Mr. In

Shikra: The Happy And Satisfied Common Hawk (Part 2)

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We had previously learned that Ms. Shikra was dissatisfied with her portrait. She had asked the human to redo her drawing because she was dissatisfied. The human agreed and promised to create a coloured portrait of Ms. Shikra. An unfortunate series of events, such as illness, prevented the human from delivering the portrait sooner. But Ms. Shikra's constant reminders were effective, and it is now here. Let us now see how Ms. Shikra feels. Good news, friends! "It is finally here. My patience has been rewarded. The human has completed my coloured portrait. I've been waiting for this drawing for almost a month. What do you think? Isn't it good?" "Overall, I like it. Of all the features, I love the eyes. Doesn't it look scary yet wise. I also love how my feathers have been drawn. When I showed this drawing of mine to the rest of the birds, they were in awe as well. The babbler sisters approved as well. I could sense their jealousy." "If

Purple Sunbird: The Missing Human

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Greetings everyone!  How did your week go? Actually, ours was quite drab. Days begin in a predictable pattern for us. We are jolted awake by each other's calls. Someone else, like us, gets up at the crack of dawn and comes outside to greet us. The human being. She comes in and greets us. Ensures that all water pots are filled with fresh water and that the feeding bowls are clean. She just lets us be, no matter what we're up to. Occasionally, she appears in the afternoon to check on the water pots. She comes up to play in the evenings. But she's been missing for a week. One day led to the next, and there was still no sign of the human. We saw the others, but she didn't appear. Her disappearance has been noticed by all of the birds. No one had seen her, not even the sparrow family, collared and laughing doves, pigeons, or babbler sisters. She has also not been seen on her balcony. Mynas speculated that she might have left. How can she do so without saying good

Shikra- The Unhappy and Dissatisfied Common Hawk (Part 1)

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Ms. Shikra is displeased. It all started when she overheard the babbler sisters gossiping last month. They were discussing how someone was drawing bird portraits. She approached them, curious, to learn more. They told Ms. Shikra about the human who was drawing bird portraits. Ms. Shikra was directed to the portrait artist by the sisters. She dashed off to see her drawing, hoping to hang it in her home. When she arrived, she asked the human to show her her picture. But what caused her to be so unhappy and dissatisfied? Read on to know Ms. Shikra's story.  Here is what Ms. Shikra saw. 'It was ugly,' Ms. Shikra added. 'It didn't look anything like me,' she continued. I am known for my petite yet strong frame. And my sharp eyes. My beautiful white-brown front and silver wings were also not seen because the portrait was in black and white. I was furious, and I squawked my dissatisfaction at the human.' 'What made it much worse was that I wasn'