The din was unmistakable. That resonant voice, the rising crescendo, those incessant three notes. While still groggy at 5:30 AM, I knew in an instant that the guest I had waited for a year had finally arrived.
In the event, a dash with camera in hand was not needed, as the Common Hawk Cuckoo, perched handsomely on a Gulmohar tree, sat there and gave me a patient darshan. Known more famously as the Papeeha, this is the quintessential Indian monsoon bird, his call a paean to the rains.
The Papeeha thus anointed itself as the 78th in my list of bird species observed, IDd and photographed over a 1 sq.km radius in the heart of Delhi and catalogued as ‘Winged Envoys of Chanakyapuri’. [https://bit.ly/WingedEnvoys]. The project taught me a great deal about birds, but also gave me deep insights into human behaviour and our lack of environmental consciousness.
Having lived and travelled across 5 continents as an Indian diplomat, one is used to appreciating the diversity and beauty of nature all around. But as an Indian calling Delhi home, I have always relished the leafy vistas of Central Delhi and how effortlessly they cradle different species of flora and fauna at ease with each other. But nothing prepared me for the bounty once I started to explore more purposefully.
It all started (at least in the mind) over 10 years ago, when after having counted 10 species of birds casually while jogging, I challenged myself to find 20 and to photo-record them.
The venture really took wings (quite literally) during the Covid induced disruptions in March 2020 and I surprised myself by finding over 25 species of birds quite nonchalantly within our residential complex. This led to a rabbit hole of discovery, learning and fun. The list kept growing as more and more avian wonders kept showing up, some on their way to Africa and some from Siberia. I have eventually ended up with 79 distinct bird species in the collection so far, all without having to leave the green environs of Chanakyapuri.
The list includes the quotidian if still delightful Mynas, Bulbuls, Koels, Crows, Sparrows and Peacocks who call Delhi their home as much as we do; and the rather uncommon Wagtails, Shikras, Drongos, Bee-Eaters, Fly-Catchers, Robins, and Cuckoos, some resident, some itinerant.
Over and beyond the joys of personal discovery and avian friendships that the project engendered, what it has also laid bare is how utterly ignorant us urban folks are about our natural surroundings.
In the din of daily grind, we rarely if at all notice, let alone appreciate the other living beings that often share the same ecological space with us. This is especially true for our avian neighbours, who despite their startling diversity and obvious grace and beauty, live alongside us as though living in a different parallel universe.
Except, it is not the birds that are hiding in plain sight, it is us that are living with our eyes wide shut.
These winged wonders are Nature’s envoys of grace, beauty and harmony. In nature, birds are often the most sensitive creatures, acutely susceptible to changes in ecology and its destruction and whose presence or absence can itself indicate the state of the environment around us. To be conscious about birds is to be conscious about the environment.
The idea of the project is to reinforce the fact that even in our largest and our most bustling cities, there is a surprising quantum of biodiversity – natural beauty in the form of animals, trees, birds or even insects. But urbanization has driven us further and further away from nature, both literally and figuratively, and this ignorance can have long-term impacts.
As they say, ‘To be able to care, you must first be aware’. We owe it to our younger generations to build this awareness as part of our urban psyche. In a bio-diversity stressed world hurtling towards a climate catastrophe, better awareness of the nature surrounding us is the first step to any effort to protect it.
One of my side objectives is also to de-mystify the science/hobby of bird watching. Often seen as the preserve of bird-nerds, who lug around their monstrous cameras or binoculars over the weekend to the nearest water body or swamp, bird watching can be quite intimidating for common folk.
The very perception that you have to ‘go somewhere’ to watch birds, creates that distance between man and bird, sociologically ‘othering’ the birds and removing their existence to a somewhat different, aloof space. As the Winged Envoys project shows, you can do bird-watching right there in your own neighbourhood. You just have to open your eyes (and ears – yes ‘bird-listening’ is as important as ‘bird-watching’) to the world around you.
Listening helps identify species as each bird has a unique call or song and we often hear birds before we see them. As you hone this skill, you start listening more keenly to the world around you. This adds beautiful layers of sound to our world, emphasizing how we live in a magical environment which offers us multiple joys.
A world more aware of its surroundings is also a more centered world, a more peaceful world. Being aware of the nature’s treasures around us and letting our inner selves appreciate and absorb their beauty and grace is the sort of mindfulness that is most needed in today’s headline-and-deadline-charged world. The mindfulness that can come with appreciating our avian neighbours can give us the spiritual energy to lead better, more harmonious and more productive lives.
Being a bird of passage myself, I know I will always rise with the lark to discover more winged envoys in my neighbourhood, wherever that should be.
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