Page 38 - Creature Companion, September 2020

BIRDWATCHING White-throated fantail

Different Joys

Birds Bring to Us

By Priyal Shah*

Credits: Priyal Shah

n previous editions, we shared an don’t necessarily have to travel a
overview about birding as a hobby lot to see birds, and on the other, MOST BIRDERS AND IN
Iand now we dive a little deeper they open up possibilities of some CASE OF NON-BIRDERS,
to explore different ways in which thrilling adventures of travelling and THOSE WHO MUST
birds bring joy in our lives. People exploring different kinds of habitats. HAVE WATCHED THE
often have different interests but
sometimes those different interests Birds have been an integral part of MOVIE ‘THE BIG YEAR’,
collide to form a new interest. For humans’ lives in various ways – the MUST BE FAMILIAR
me, my love for nature and passion most important being the ecological WITH WHAT ‘BIG YEAR’
for photography led me to ‘bird relationship. Humans depend on birds MEANS. IT’S WHEN AN
photography’. The power of social for pollination; about 5% of plants we INDIVIDUAL DECIDES
media further led to discovery of the use for food or medicine are pollinated TO SEE MAXIMUM
hobby of birdwatching and various by them. In addition to that, birds are NUMBER OF SPECIES IN
other ways in which birds infl uence sentinel species; their behaviour can
our lives and bring joy. Unlike tigers, provide advance warnings to potential A SINGLE YEAR, EITHER
lions or other wildlife, birds are risks to humans. For instance, in the IN THEIR COUNTRY OR
around us almost wherever we go; absence of technology, canary birds AROUND THE WORLD.
we see them in concrete jungles, used to be taken to mines and their
dense forests, deserts, wetlands, behaviour would help detect rising influenced our lives in various ways

snow-covered mountains and even levels of carbon monoxide or other and if you’ve just gotten interested in
in middle of oceans. This is the toxic gases in the mine before they birds, you can know there’s a whole
reason, it is easy as well as exciting reached levels that could cause harm lot for you to explore, experience, and
to take up birding; on one hand you to miners. Apart from these, birds have enjoy.

38 Creature Companion | SEPTEMBER 2020 • VOL. XIII • ISSUE 7 • NOIDA