Birds in Our Neighbourhood

Sunbirds are most common garden birds. The Purple Sunbird (Cinnyris asiaticus) is a small sunbird & like other sunbirds they feed mainly on nectar & sometimes eat insects. You can identify this bird with its very small size (hardly 10 cm) and curved bill. This down curved bill helps the bird to reach to nectar easily.

The male is glossy metallic bluish to purplish & females are olive above and yellowish below.

One small common garden bird is Indian Tailorbird (Orthotomus sutorius). It is a brightly coloured bird, with long upright tail, green upper body , creamy underparts and rust coloured forehead. This small bird is typically found in open farmland, scrub, forest edges and gardens. Tailorbirds get their name from the way their nest is constructed, which is made of leaves “sewn” together. Tailorbirds are insectivorous.

House Sparrow (Passer domesticus) which was a very common bird once in villages and cities is now has become a rare sight. It is so well adapted to living around humans that it frequently lives and even breeds indoors. It feeds mostly on the seeds of grains and weeds, but it is an opportunistic eater and commonly eats insects.

This small bird’s population is been declining due to various reasons , major found to be shortage of nesting sites caused by changes in urban building design and insufficient supply of insect food for nestling sparrows.

Birds are indicator of our environment health as they are highly visible species. You can help in bird conservation by gaining knowledge about their habitat and their requirements. Maintaining green patches, gardens are very important to provide habitat and food for birds. Not using chemicals in gardens i.e maintaining organic gardens help in conservation as it would make garden insects available as food for birds.

The value we gain from birds deserves serious investigation into causes of decline and provides additional rationale for the study and conservation of these unique animals.

Glossary

Ecology-Relationship & interactions  of the organisms with each other & with their environment.

Crest– Soft feathers common along the head, neck, and upper back of the birds.

Territorial behaviour– Animals defend territory or area where they live in by fighting or displaying dominating behaviour.

Brood parasites -are organisms that rely on other species to raise their young.

Invasive Potential- Species which has a tendency to spread ,which can cause damage to the environment, human economy or human health.

Start Observing birds which you can see in your neighbourhood. You can listen to their call & can observe what they eat. Make note of observation.