but if you have some free time on a weekend, take a look outside, there's a lot more happening. the key is to listen between the loud kaw kaws and the gurgling.
once you hear something dissimilar to the ordinary, follow your ear and you might see an amazing variety of birds right outside your window...
take for instance the coppersmith barbet, a shy little bird that prefers to stay hidden in a tree near you.
if you happen to hear a dull monotonous 'tuk tuk tuk', follow your ear and you should soon be able to see this bird- a riot of colours.
the coppersmith barbet is an olive green bird with a bright crimson forehead and a dash of yellow around the eyes.
it gets it name from its call which sounds like copper sheet being beaten.
then there's the wonderful purple-rumped sunbird, a really tiny bird, about 10cm in length. the male has a metallic-green crown with a maroon band across the upper breast and bright lemon yellow below. the female is not so showy with an ashy brown crown and a yellow breast.
to spot this one, listen for a sharp continuous 'tsesiwee tsesiwee' and you should be able to spot this bird, generally they fly in groups of three's. and if you have a flowering plant in your balcony or garden, chances are that this bird would have visited you. recently, i took a picture of one right outside my window.
the purple-rumped sunbird has a not so flashy cousin, the common tailorbird. these birds also fly in groups and have a loud noisy 'cheep cheep cheep'.
the tailorbird is also very little, about 10-12cm in length and is seen more frequently.
if you're lucky (as i rarely spot this one), you might see the oriental magpie robin perched on the next door gulmohur.
it's a pretty black & white bird, the crown being black, and the breast being white. the call for this bird is a 'schwee-cheche'.
the magpie robin often walks around gardens, so if you live around a park, look for this bird walking around in the early morning dew.
the magpie robin often walks around gardens, so if you live around a park, look for this bird walking around in the early morning dew.
the magpie robin physically looks a distant cousin of the sparrow. i haven't spotted one for sometime now but i did click a picture of one some years back.
another rare spot is the exotic eurasian golden oriole, a fantastic bright yellow bird with black wings and central tail feathers.
listen for a soft fluty 'pfee-loulo' and you might spot a couple.
the eurasian oriole is also a resident of the british isles and holland.
on a quiet morning if you hear a human like whistle it's probably the white throated fantail. a plain salty brown bird with a fan-like tail.
it has a very melodious whistle of more than 5-7 notes and is quite common around bombay.
not fantastic to look at, but soothing to the ear.
not fantastic to look at, but soothing to the ear.
then there's the asian koel, i don't think this feather needs an introduction. the male has a loud 'kuoo kuoo' and is often heard just before the advent of the monsoon.
the male is jet black in colour with a red beady eyes. the female looks quite awful i think, it's dark brown with lots of white spots. i had taken a picture of the female. here it is...
one of the most colourful and noisy residents of bombay is the rose-ringed parrot. you would have heard them calling 'kee-ak kkreeak' while darting across in flight. you can also spot some of these perched on a cable wire between apartments shrilly calling out to each other.
one of these birds had come visiting my office, it could only see its reflection as the office building had metallic film on its windows and i got a fab pic.
the loftiest residents of bombay are the black kites. although called black they are dark-brown overall with a brown under body.
they have a loud whistling scream and are often spotted perched in a crowd in large trees. or some solitary ones stop for a quick rest on a high-rise.
they are scavengers in nature and you would see them hovering around garbage dumps as well.
another great looking bird is the red-vented bulbul. it has a jet black head with a small crest, sooty brown overall with a red vent below, hence the name.
it has a cheery whistling call, about 2-4 notes in all. this bird can rarely be spotted in the neighbourhood as it frequents the open grass and scrublands around bombay.
a quick word on the common crow- they are highly adaptable, vigilant, quick and scavengeous in nature. there are an estimated half million crows in bombay.
the crow is a threat to the numerous smaller birds of bombay. they attack and chase off any large bird of prey. crows have been reported killing chicks of domestic fowls as well.
the only way out is to keep our city clean, the cleaner bombay gets, the fewer crows you see. on my last visit to south goa, i stayed at a slightly isolated, clean area and believe you me, i did not see a single crow.
ever heard of a flying rat? that's what our neighbourhood pigeons are called in the european world. they are known to cause chest congestion and have been alleged to spread mad cow disease.
their excreta is so acidic that it can eat into car paint. in the uk and switzerland steps have been taken to reduce the population of the pigeon.
even if something like this does not happen in bombay, it's best not to encourage these birds by creating kabootar khanas in the crowded suburbs of bombay.
and in any case there are prettier birds right outside your window that have a right of place. may their flock increase...
