uRban wIldlIFe
20 http://www.facebook.com/TellTailMagazine Tell Tail^ n^ Aug 2017 - Oct 2017
B
irds bring an image of
freedom in our minds.
These colourful, chirping
creatures occupy and
adapt to almost every habitat
and are an important part of the
ecosystem. They provide various
ecosystem services like nutrient
cycling, dispersion of seeds, as bio
control agents, as scavengers in
many ecosystems. With increasing
urbanisation, worsening pollution
and decreasing green cover, birds
are among the most affected
species. With disturbed habitats,
their population is declining, their
nesting habits are changing. In this
process, birds which cannot adapt
fast to the changing environment
are disappearing.
Birds which have adapted to
city life are seen in our gardens,
roadside trees and open areas. Let’s
get acquainted with the ecology
of some of these birds which are
present in our cities and in our
neighbourhoods.
Glossary needed to understand
birds has been provided in the end.
The first bird which comes to mind
is the house crow (corvus
splendens). They
inhabit any area
where humans
live and
reachhighest numbers in dense
human settlements where there
is plentiful access to garbage,
crops and livestock. House crows
feed on refuse around human
habitations, carrion, small reptiles,
eggs, nestlings, grain and fruits.
Omnivorous scavengers, crows help
in cleaning the environment. Crows
are intelligent and resourceful birds
and exhibit play behaviour too.
Crows have great invasive potential.
One of the most common species
of Bulbul found all across Indiaand in our cities is the red-vented
bulbul (pycnonotus cafer). This
medium sized bird has a short crest,
black head, greyish black body and
a scarlet red vent (back of the tail).
Bulbuls are found in dry scrub, open
forest, plains and cultivated lands.
Adapted to urban areas, nesting is
observed in homes and gardens.
The red-vented bulbul feeds on
fruits, petals of flowers, nectar,
insects and occasionally geckos.
This is a rather dominating bird.
Part of our culture and literature,Spot them in
your garden
We have a fair
number of birds
living in our
neighbourhood. let
us identify them and
understand their
habitat
n Birds are an indicator of our environment’s health as they are a
highly visible species. You can help in bird conservation by gaining
knowledge about their habitat and their requirements. Maintaining
green patches and gardens are very important to provide habitat and
food for birds. Not using chemicals in gardens i.e maintaining organic
gardens helps in conservation as it would make garden insects
available as food for birds.Indian sparrowOriental
magpie
robin