ASSAMHere, the floodplains of the Brahmaputra River
in the north and the Dibru River in the south
play host to around 380 bird and 36 mammal
species. While the larger animals arrest attention,
the blink-and-miss blue dragonflies (1) in the
grassland enchant equally; Under sunlight,
the orange-brown wings of the ruddy shelduck
(2) dazzle when in flight. Winter in the Indian
subcontinent beckons these migratory birds to
undertake long journeys from Europe and Central
Asia; When the waters of Maguri Beel are placid,
local fishermen are usually happy to ferry visitors
across the lake on a boat ride (3). This allows them
to chance upon the wetland birds that are usually
difficult to encounter; White-breasted kingfisher,
(4) a commonly found bird in the country, preys
on centipedes, snails, frogs, earthworms, lizards
and chameleons. These monogamous birds
mostly nest at muddy banks of streams, in old
trees or even termite mounds; Natives here
largely live in harmony with creatures that inhabit
the land. As dusk settles, a local drives his cattle
(5) home; The bar-headed geese (6) have been
recorded at impressive heights of more than
23,000 feet. The geeses’ migratory pattern takes
them across the Himalayas, where they often fly
non-stop at altitudes with less than 10 per cent
oxygen at sea level.6