Birds on Pitara Kids Network

Penguin Sweaters

Wed, 18 Dec 2002 15:07:40 +0000

Oil spills can have a devastating effect on marine life. After an oil spill, one of the most important jobs of rescuers is to fish out oil soaked birds and animals, clean them and rehabilitate them before releasing them into the wild again.

Recently, after an oil spill in the Australian waters, environmentalists claimed that the oil slicks were threatening the existence of the little blue penguins in the south of Australia.

These tiny, blue-backed penguins are barely 41 centimetres in height – half the height of the world’s biggest, and famous Emperor penguins of Antarctica.

A Friend in Need

Tue, 06 May 2003 06:54:12 +0000

It happened not very long ago. But when you’re a snail, days move at snail’s pace, too. So, if you were to ask our friend the snail when this happened, she’d tell you, it was y-e-ars ago…

Well, to get on with our story. In the shade of a cool, damp log, snoozed a shy snail. She wasn’t alone in her cosy home, oh no. She had company. There was a slug the snail called Cousin Glug because, you see, snails and slugs are part of the same family. Now, since they both lived on land, they didn’t know, of course, that they had other cousins in the ocean!

Why don't Birds on a wire get a shock?

Tue, 29 Aug 2006 16:28:41 +0000

Now how is that possible? The fact is, for a living creature to get a ‘shock’ there has to be a substantial flow of current through the body. However, there is barely any current running through the bird’s body for two reasons. Firstly, the bird not only forms a circuit with the wire, but it also offers a high resistance to current, so the current passes through the wire instead of the bird.

It’s a bit like this, would you prefer going on a smooth road or a road full of potholes? The answer is obvious and just like you, the current prefers taking the easier path. All objects offer some amount of resistance to the flow of current, depending on the material.

The Exotic Peacock

Mon, 04 Sep 2000 18:58:57 +0000

Come monsoons, and we immediately think about the beautiful peacock, dancing in the rain, with its luscious tail spread out behind it. Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful birds in the world and a native of the Indian sub-continent, it is not surprising that the Peacock was anointed as the national bird of India in 1963.

The Exotic Peacock [Illustrations by Neelima Bhushan]

Hailing from the pheasant family, these exotic birds are cherished for their colourful plumes and eggs. The peacocks, more appropriately called peafowls, (peacock refers to the male) are found in lowland forests and hills usually in small groups consisting of one male and several females.

The Boy with a Catapult

Thu, 21 Sep 2000 16:19:33 +0000

Our class at school has an odd assortment of boys. There was Harbans Lal who, when asked a difficult question, would take a sip out of his inkpot because he believed it sharpened his wits. If the teacher boxed his ears he would yell, “Help! Murder!” so loudly that teachers and boys from other classes would come running to see what had happened. This caused much embarrassment to the teacher. If the teacher tried to cane him, he would put his arms round him and implore, “Forgive me, Your Majesty! You are like Akbar the Great. You Emperor Ashoka. You are my father, my grandfather, my great grandfather.”

The Great Escape

Mon, 23 Sep 2002 21:19:40 +0000

On the outskirts of a bustling city near the sea coast was a zoo named Kananvan. It was famous all over the world for its magnificent white tigers, exotic birds and several other rare species.

However, there was one special quality that made the zoo different and about which no human knew. The animals of Kananvan practiced a democracy that is quite rare even in the so-called civilised world. A democracy in a zoo? I’ll explain.

King of the Birds

Thu, 20 Sep 2001 15:47:19 +0000

The birds of the jungle had no king. It was a real embarrassment for them since everyone else in the jungle had kings.

A king is someone who heads the flock and decides every thing for them. All the birds decided they too needed a king. The called a meeting to resolve the problem.

But who will be the king?

The Mynah had an idea. “Let the bird who can fly the highest be made king of the air,” she said.

Monu Makes his Mark

Sun, 24 Nov 2002 06:05:27 +0000

Monu the mongoose crawled out of the ditch in the back garden. His mother was already out with his three little brothers. They had long bodies with short legs. They had bushy tails and tiny ears. And they had bright eyes, which shone like beads.

They did things fast. They were already good hunters like their mother. But Monu was not smart like his brothers. He didn’t like chasing mice and garden rats like they did. He didn’t even like to go for frogs and lizards. And he disliked snakes most of all! His brothers laughed at him. “Little coward!” they teased, “Poor frightened baby!”

Parrots in My Garden

Wed, 29 Aug 2001 10:57:26 +0000

When it’s early morning
Before it’s really light
A flock of parrots flies across
Looking trim and bright

They swoop down on the juicy grams
Which I love to throw
They are not afraid of me
The way they come and go!

Soon my lawn is clean and clear
Of every little grain

Parrots in My Garden [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

And then the parrots leave the place
To fly back once again.

Who am I

Thu, 19 Dec 2002 21:30:22 +0000

Just read the rhymes that we have made for you. Let us see if you can pick up the clue.

Magic of Kondapalli Toys

Sat, 29 Nov 2003 05:32:18 +0000

Did you know that animals, birds, reptiles and humans learn the lessons of life through play? Any object can be used as a toy. Lion cubs even play with their parent’s tail! Human children play with objects of daily life, like spoons and cardboard boxes. But toys remain the favourite playthings of most children.

In India, the oldest toys belong to the 5000 year-old Harappan civilisation. These toys were made with natural materials like clay, wood and stone. They depicted ordinary men, women, animals, birds, fruits and vegetables as well as the important professionals who existed in those times – the potter, carpenter and farmer, among others. And these ancient toys are surprisingly similar to the handmade toys of a later date.

Young Poets

Tue, 29 Jan 2002 18:35:28 +0000

Todd-Michael St. Pierre writes poems, songs and plays for children. He is a storyteller at schools throughout the southern United States. Among his published works are ‘Somewhere: As Told By Garrett The Parrot’ and ‘The Louisiana State Bird Beauty Pageant’. ‘Young Poets’ is part of a collection, ‘A Treehouse On The Moon’, to be published soon, along with other works such as ‘The Prince Of Nonsense: Silly Poems4Kids’ and ‘Put The People In A Zoo And Set The Animals Free: Poems4Kids To Read Out Loud’. St Pierre lives in St. Francisville, Louisiana, with his two Siamese twin cats.

Have You Seen the Cuckoo Bird?

Fri, 23 Jun 2000 21:27:22 +0000

Have You Seen the Cuckoo Bird? [Illustration by Sudheer Nath]

Have you seen the cuckoo bird
With raven-coloured wing?
Although I haven’t seen one yet
I’ve often heard her sing.

The cuckoo on our champak tree
Is hidden from our sight
Because the leaves are thick and close
But how she sings at night!

‘Cuckoo… cuckoo’ says the bird
‘I may be dark, it’s true
But there is not a single bird
That sings the way I do!’

Where Do Penguins Live?

Fri, 11 Feb 2000 03:32:04 +0000

Short, fat and looking as if they were attending a formal dinner dressed in a tuxedo, penguins could easily be mistaken for people from a distance!

Penguins are flightless birds found in the southern hemisphere. No, they are NOT found near the North Pole. Scientists feel that these birds became flightless as food was available in plenty. But their food was located underwater so they adapted to the sea with short flipper-like wings.

Where Do Penguins Live? [Illustration by Anup Singh]

Penguins have short legs and when they want to move fast, they slide on the ice on their bellies. Penguins eat fish and squid and live in large colonies called rookeries. There are 18 penguin species ranging from the smallest, the Little Blue at 40 cm to the Emperor Penguins at 120 cm. Only two species – the Adelie and the Emperor penguin – live in the Antarctic.

Koel

Thu, 21 Dec 2000 07:56:24 +0000

When wisps of white
Sail across the sky
When the breeze blows warm
And the days grow long
From somewhere in the distance
You can hear my song
Coo-ooo, Coo-ooo Coo-oooo

When mangoes ripen
In the dark green trees
And hovering around
Are busy buzzy bees
Right over the wall
You can hear my call
Coo-o, Coo-oo, Cooo-ooo

Koel [Illustration by Kusum Chamoli]

When plump wild figs
Go squish under your feet
And juicy purple jamuns
Are munched by parakeets

Why Do Turtles and Tortoises Live So Long?

Sun, 23 Nov 1997 04:39:31 +0000

Turtles and tortoises have been on planet Earth even before the dinosaurs. They are that old. The difference between a turtle and tortoise is that the turtle stays in water while the tortoise stays on land. But both creatures have one thing in common: they live to a ripe old age, from 120 years to almost 200 years!

Some of them are huge, like the giant tortoises of the Galapagos Islands – they weigh beyond 200 kg; their shells are more than a metre long. The beauty is that they hatch from eggs that are no bigger than a hen’s!

Birds Coloring Pages

Mon, 03 Aug 2009 11:17:43 +0000

Birds Coloring Pages for kids. How would you like to see these birds? Colour them just the way you want to. Click on any image you like to enlarge it. You can download this image and print it for colouring!

Click on any image to view an enlarged version. Print it and color it.

Abdul Kareem's Forest

Fri, 19 Sep 2003 15:01:49 +0000

A lush green forest in the middle of a rocky wasteland. No, this paradise is not an illusion. Abdul Kareem has created it with his own hands.

Kareem’s 30-acre forest is in Kasargode district, Kerala. It is home to 1,500 medicinal plants, 2,000 varieties of trees, rare birds, animals and insects. Agricultural scientist, MS Swaminathan, has called the forest a “wonderful example of the power harmony with nature.”

Abdul Kareem’s Forest [Illustration by Shinod AP]

So, how did Kareem manage to convert a wasteland into a forest?

Lion On The Loose!...!...

Wed, 13 Jun 2001 21:29:28 +0000

Once it started raining, it just wouldn’t stop. The sky wept great tears in an endless stream until the clouds had entered everyone’s hearts and made them feel as grey and weepy as the weather. But still it rained on and on.

Everyone stayed at home, gloomy and bored. “I wish we could DO something,” moaned Geeti, “Nothing exciting ever happens to us” said Vikki.

Mummy wouldn’t let them go out but she tried to cheer them up by baking a cake. The children helped too. The cake was yummy and they ate it hot. The rest they covered and left on the table.

Chinese Sparrows

Thu, 28 Dec 2000 20:37:41 +0000

Once there was a merchant who happened to acquire six sparrows from China.

“They’ll make a fine gift for my lord,” thought the merchant. But knowing the lord to be very superstitious and always concerned about omens, he suspected that His Lordship might not like the number ‘six’. In order to make the number a lucky ‘seven’, he added one Japanese sparrow, and presented them in a beautiful cage.

The lord was greatly pleased to have such a rare gift. He admired the birds and looked very carefully at each one of them.

Why are Eggs Oval?

Sun, 02 May 1999 07:09:24 +0000

Have you ever climbed a tree and peeked into the nest of a crow or a sparrow? Or looked into that flowerpot where the noisy pigeon decided to lay its eggs? The sight of a mother hen sitting on a bunch of fresh white eggs is great, though most of us see them only when they land on the breakfast table every now and then.

Eggs come in different colours. They may be blue, blue-green, yellow, spotted, blotched or white. No egg looks identical. Even those eggs that are laid in a clutch or at one time may have different colours. Most eggs are oval, and sometimes they are long and elongated. One end is slightly larger and heavier while the other end is smaller and conical.

Birds Which Eat Their Feathers

Sat, 13 Jan 2001 06:22:28 +0000

We all know that birds use their feathers to line their nests. But have you ever heard of a bird eating its own feathers?

It is a bird which lives in water and is called the great crested grebe. It eats its own feathers and feeds them to her young ones too. And, it always prefers soft feathers, which it sheds throughout the year.

Scientists believe that its feather-eating habit is linked to the process with which it throws waste.

Birds

Thu, 18 Mar 1999 15:22:37 +0000

Which bird feeds its young ones so much that they become too fat to fly? And which bird can hold 13 litres of water in the giant pouches of its beak… It’s simply fascinating!

Who's the Brainiest animal of Them All?

Tue, 22 Oct 2002 04:42:41 +0000

The next time someone calls you an ape or a bird brain, ask her to think again. Brain scans of animals have revealed similar patterns of electrical activity in human and animal brains, so obviously humans aren’t the only smart ones around.

Who’s the Brainiest of Them All?

The brainiest animals are chimpanzees, which share 99 per cent of the human deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA as it is known. (DNA is a chain of molecules within the nucleus of a cell that have all the genetic information influencing the characteristics we inherit from our parents.)

Golu Rabbit's Day Out

Thu, 14 Feb 2002 08:02:01 +0000

In the Kanha forest in India, lived a little bunny rabbit called Golu. He was called Golu because of his small round ball of a tail.

Golu lived with his mother Molu in a deep burrow under the tall grass of the forest. The burrow had large rooms and many doorways and Golu loved to run from room to room hoppity-skip.

Every morning Molu went out into the forest and nearby farms to hunt for carrots and radishes.

Storm Petrel: A Bird that Walks on Water

Sat, 22 Sep 2001 20:28:20 +0000

You must have heard of St. Peter, the saint, who is said to have walked on water. Well, there is a bird which is named after the saint, because it looks as if it is walking on water.

It is called the stormy petrel. It is not known whether the petrel actually walks on water. But, it somehow manages to stay above water. This gives the impression that it is walking on water.

Wilson’s Storm Petrel (Oceanites oceanicus): A bird that seems to walk on water

But, if a storm arises, the petrel cannot “walk on water”. So, it is forced to remain in the air day and night, till the storm subsides!

The Eagle and the Arrow

Wed, 11 Apr 2001 23:31:26 +0000

Eagle was a strange creature. He got his fun out of teasing and frightening the little birds. Even when he was not hungry, he would soar through the sky and swoop down on some unsuspecting birds and pretend to prey on them. The poor little birds would cower with fear and try to fly away.

Eagle would then burst into an ear-piercing laugh and flap his wings disdainfully. “I am the King of the sky! How scared you all are of me,” he would exclaim.

Birds & Animals – A Visual Matching Puzzle

Thu, 16 Oct 2014 16:42:58 +0000

Identify where the missing pieces will fit. You can solve the visual matching puzzle online or if you wish to do it later, it can also be printed. This is a visual discrimination/matching activity helps children learn and develop color-matching, pattern and shape recognition, spatial relationships, critical thinking and logic.

The Thirsty Crow

Sun, 22 Oct 2000 00:09:05 +0000

Kancharam had been flying for 10 hours without a halt. He had come to the western state of Gujarat to attend his childhood friend Bholuram’s wedding. He had stayed just for the wedding.

As soon as it was over, he said good bye to his friend and left. Now he was flying back home. That was in Jaipur, Rajasthan. He was very, very tired. And thirsty, too.

The Survivor

Sun, 10 Mar 2002 05:44:21 +0000

In the Indian ocean was a tiny island, no more than a mere speck on the globe. It was called Aranya. Its people were ruled by a wise and brave chief called Parvat. He was 60 years old.

There was a beautiful garden right in the middle of the island. It was dotted with lush green trees bearing delicious fruits and beautiful flowers of every imaginable colour.

Once a year on the first full moon night after the rains, the people of Aranya worshipped their deity, Bhumidev. On that occasion the chief would visit the garden and select the most beautiful flower. This flower was then offered to Bhumidev.

Excerpts from Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon

Wed, 14 Feb 2001 16:54:42 +0000

Gay-Neck’s birth happened exactly as I have described. About the twentieth day after the laying of the egg, I noticed that the mother was not sitting on it any more. She pecked the father and drove him away every time he flew down from the roof of the house and volunteered to sit on the egg. Then he cooed, which meant, “Why do you send me away?”

She, the mother, just pecked him the more, meaning, “Please go. The business on hand is very serious”.

Elephants and Leopards

Sat, 20 Nov 1999 15:15:32 +0000

_Shatrunjay Hegde is eight years old. He is studying in the 4th standard in Valley School at Bangalore. _

Elephants and Leopards [Illustration by Anup Singh]

We went to Bandipur National Park near Mysore for a three day jungle camp and safari. During this trip we went for many safaris. We went trekking in the jungle. We talked about elephants, tigers, leopards and many other animals. We went to the museum at Bandipur where we saw tiger jaws and elephant jaws and we also saw pictures of all the animals which are in the Bandipur National Park.

The Vultures are Dying

Sat, 07 Oct 2000 11:43:22 +0000

What’s all this hullabaloo about ‘making connections’? You must wonder why Gobar Times harps on ‘making connections’. Another favourite mantra is – ‘be informed’. Such boring stuff, isn’t it? No tree-plantings, painting competitions, ‘queez’. No ‘Save the cuddly leopards’. Instead, we’re asking you to spare a thought for the bald, wrinkled, smelly vulture.

The vultures of Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur, till recently, numbered 2000. Now there are just four. Did I hear someone mutter, “Good riddance”? Good riddance it may seem, but chances of people following the vultures are pretty high. What can happen to vultures can happen to us.

The Kiwi is Australian!

Tue, 26 Aug 2003 11:57:12 +0000

The Kiwi is Australian! [Illustration by Shinod AP]

March 14: The kiwi bird is one of the most common symbols of New Zealand. It is also the country’s national bird. And that’s not all. It features as an insignia on New Zealand’s coat of arms as well.

New Zealanders consider the kiwi their most enduring national symbol and until now, they believed that the bird did not even exist outside New Zealand. But recently, a group of scientists, led by researcher Alan Cooper, has made a startling statement – the kiwi might have Australian origins.

Animal Sense

Sat, 22 Feb 2003 16:47:42 +0000

February 14: So you live in a quake-prone region and want to be prepared the next time an earthquake strikes. Unfortunately, science has still not come up with a way to predict earthquakes. But there’s hope yet. Just visit your local zoo and observe the behaviour of the animals there.

Astonishing but true. Animals remain even today, the best bet of alerting humans to an impending natural disaster.

Animal Sense [Illustration by Shinod AP]

Curious to know why? Animals, birds and snakes possess a sixth sense, claim animal behaviour experts. The indefinable ability to sense the presence of a natural disaster lurking in the background. Innumerable disaster films have used the theme of the family pet sensing the approach of something terrible, like a typhoon or volcano, and trying to alert the humans to it.

When a Cat Preys for Lunch

Sun, 13 May 2001 09:35:32 +0000

Many people have always believed that animals hunting for prey always catch the ones that are young, old or sick. For it would be difficult for those creatures to escape a predator’s hold. Till now there was no actual proof of this fact. But latest research by French scientists in Paris, France, has proved that it is true. A report on their research came out in ‘The Economist’ magazine recently. How did they do it?

Vanishing Vulture

Tue, 15 Mar 2005 02:34:39 +0000

It’s the bird most commonly associated with death. Once a common sight in South Asia, the vulture, or nature’s scavenger, is one of the 78 species in India that is dying out. Faced with a mysterious virus and pesticide poisoning, the population of vultures today is said to be just 5 per cent of what it was (about 20 years ago) in the 1980s. A couple of years ago, the vultures of Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur numbered 2000. Now there are just four.

A Boisterous Bedtime Read

Mon, 02 Jul 2001 13:17:05 +0000

Mister Jeejeebhoy and the Birds
Author: Anitha Balachandran
Illustrator: Anitha Balachandran
Publisher: Young Zubaan Books

Author and illustrator Anitha Balachandran’s Mister Jeejeebhoy and the Birds, just published by Young Zubaan is a delight to the ears! Hey! But it’s a book! Exactly. A book that, as soon as I opened it’s luscious orange cover, immediately let loose a cacaphony of “bustling, hustling, crinkling, crackling, creaking” sounds, and much more.

This delightful book follows two young girls, Diya and Tara, who come to live in their aunt Ninamasi’s house, and discover a world that is obviously on it’s own trip. For this reason perhaps, the neighbourhood kids don’t play with them. Outside, there’s the scrumptious world of Mister Jeejeebhoy’s sweet shop, where catastrophe is waiting round the corner. Can Diya and Tara save Mister JeeJeebhoy’s sweet shop? Do they finally make friends? Jump into this auditory delight, perfect for a bedtime read full of exaggerated sounds, and find out for yourself.

The Crow’s Lunch

Tue, 16 Oct 2001 11:21:35 +0000

The crow sat on the tree
Waiting for lunch

What would it be? Rice,
roti – or earthworm?

Lunch was none of these
The family was on a fast

Disgusted, the crow
swooped down
If not curry, maybe
a bland earthworm?

But the worms weren’t there
The crow wasn’t early enough

The Crow’s Lunch [Illustration by Shinod AP]

What has the world come to,
cried the crow
No thought for others!

Polluted India

Fri, 19 Nov 1999 14:45:31 +0000

Where: Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India

Hussain Sagar in Hyderabad is a lake famous for the thousands of migratory birds it attracts from other parts of India and abroad, in the winter months. But the seagulls, ducks and other migratory birds no longer find it hospitable. They only use it as a stopover and prefer to fly away elsewhere.

Too many idols spoil the lake

The lake has seen more clay idols of deities such as Ganesh and Durga being immersed in its waters than any other lake in the vicinity. The chemicals used to paint the idols are highly toxic. They contaminate the waters, the algae and the water plants in it.

Winter Guests

Tue, 09 Dec 2003 11:37:39 +0000

December 27: Every winter, the Delhi Zoo in New Delhi, India, spruces up for the visit of some special foreign visitors. They fly in from the distant lands of China, Japan and Central Asia to escape sub-zero temperatures back home and bask in the warmer Delhi sun.

These visitors include pin-tail ducks, shoveller ducks, common teals, coots, dab-chiks, yellow wagtails, yellow-winged wagtails and white wagtails. Flocks of migratory birds have made the Delhi zoo their temporary habitat. And they’ve already arrived in the city, reports The Times of India.

The Peacocks are Dying

Tue, 02 Sep 2003 07:00:27 +0000

May 11: The residents of the Rajasthan State Electricity Board colony in Heerapur, 12 km from Jaipur, are in shock. They don’t know how to reconcile to the sudden, unexplained deaths of 19 peacocks in their colony in the first week of May. The priest at the Radha Krishna temple in the colony is inconsolable: there are no more peacocks to peck at the vessel filled with jowar.

In the first week of May, at Sirsiya village in Phagi district, a villager saw six of the birds die, foaming at their mouth as they tried to dance. After eating the jowar and wheat seeds kept outside households for them, the peacocks just collapsed on the roof of a building.

Birds Sing in their Sleep

Wed, 23 May 2001 06:27:13 +0000

Just like humans, birds too rely on sound to communicate. However, they do not have a ’language’ in the true sense of the word and instead emit a variety of squawks and chirps to convey different emotions.

Often, birds recognise their mates (or young) by sound rather than sight. Hungry fledglings use begging calls to let their mothers know it is feeding time. Alarm calls, flight calls for flight coordination, and warning calls are other sounds emitted frequently by the adults.

The Gardener Bird

Mon, 07 May 2001 07:54:42 +0000

Look at this nest. Doesn’t it remind you of a hut? It is built by a bird with an appropriate name. It is called the gardener bird. It works hard at building its house and decorating it.

The Gardener Bird [Illustration by Shridevi R.]

And, after building the house, it makes a garden around it.

The gardener bird likes colourful objects. So, its house is always surrounded with colourful flowers and shells. These objects are not just thrown together haphazardly. The bird arranges them very carefully and even tries out different patterns before deciding on the final look of the garden.

Pelican Trouble

Thu, 07 Jun 2001 01:33:03 +0000

Many people living in Andhra Pradesh may have escaped the wrath of the cyclone that ravaged the state last month, but the migratory pelicans, in a small costal village in northern Andhra, weren’t quite as fortunate.

Pelican Trouble [Illustration by Shiju George]

The storms’ heavy winds and rains didn’t cause as much material damage as was expected, however it proved disastrous for the pelicans as small chicks were blown out of their nests.

High-tech Crane Migration

Fri, 14 Dec 2001 13:53:49 +0000

As winter sets in, millions of birds leave their nests in the northern hemisphere and head towards warmer lands in the south. During spring, they once again wing their way back to their original nesting grounds. This yearly ritual is known as migration.

While some birds are great travellers, flying from one country to another; others merely flap down from the high mountains to sheltered valleys for the winter. The Arctic tern (of North America) is the hardiest traveller of all. Each year, these birds fly as far south as Antarctica and back, covering a mind-boggling distance of 29,000 kms.

Why does a Kentish Plover Parent Desert its Family?

Wed, 27 Feb 2002 19:03:49 +0000

When couples exchange vows on the marriage day, they generally say ’till death do us part’. For a species of shore-dwelling bird called the Kentish Plover, it is ’till divorce do us part'.

Indeed, birds of this species usually leave their partners after the incubation (hatching) of the eggs and usually it is the female who moves on, while the male stays on to look after the babies. A recent study conducted by Andras Kosztolanyi of the University of Debrecen, in Hungary, sheds light on the reason behind this behaviour.

Pretty bird no more

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 00:04:35 +0000

Where: London, England

April 24, 2007: For 40 years, the people of London have been happy to spot in their parks a bird that seems to have made its way from the Himalayas to the capital of England. With its shocking green body, red beak, long tail and noisy screech, the rose-ringed parakeet brought a vivid splash of colour to parks in and around London. The parakeet (psittacula krameri) is native to a great belt of land stretching from Africa to the Himalayas in India. So impressed were people with its colourful presence, that they started putting out bird feed for it.

The Song of the Bird

Wed, 29 Mar 2000 13:30:21 +0000

The Song of the Bird []

Humans speak when they are happy, they speak when they are sad. They speak when they are angry, and they speak when they see a thing of beauty. They try to speak even when they have toothaches, and often they speak even when they have nothing to say. Well, songbirds are quite the same.

Bird Flu Virus Returns to Asia

Fri, 12 Jan 2007 03:49:11 +0000

Where: China

December 18, 2008: The deadly Bird Flu virus is back, and hundreds of thousands of chickens are being culled (killed) across Asia and Africa to stop the virus from spreading. The H5N1 virus is commonly referred to as Bird Flu virus since it spreads through birds. It can be fatal for human beings, especially those that are exposed to birds such as poultry.

Bird Flu Virus Returns to Asia []

In China, over 370,000 chickens have been culled in the country’s eastern province of Jiangsu. In India, a similar exercise is happening in the western state of Bengal. The virus has also surfaced in Egypt, where it killed a little girl, and in Cambodia and Taiwan.

Birds!!!

Sat, 23 Nov 2002 22:34:17 +0000

October 6: If feeding pigeons is your hobby, then the place to go is London’s Trafalgar Square. With about 40,000 pigeon tummies to fill, you can be sure that demand will never outstrip supply.

Trafalgar Square’s pigeons are a major tourist attraction. Thousands of pigeons can be found in the square at any given time, which has a fountain and the monument of famous English general Lord Nelson at the centre. Some tourists and residents visit the square only to feed the birds.

The Nest

Thu, 29 Jul 1999 11:33:53 +0000

Common Birds
Written by Salim Ali and Laeeq Futehally
Published by National Book Trust, New Delhi

Think of birds and you think of Dr. Salim Ali, India’s most famous ornithologist. He is the scientist who succeeded in communicating his passion for studying bird life in India to the ordinary Indian.

Generations of Indians have grown up on his wonderfully warm and crisp writings on birds and have squealed in delight on being able to distinguish a red turtle dove from a spotted dove. Those who have accepted him as a guide have been able to explore the complex societies that nature’s feathered creatures have created – as complex as human societies.

The Lake and the Birds

Wed, 15 Dec 1999 06:46:25 +0000

Where: Himachal Pradesh, India

March 8, 2001: The picturesque Pong Dam lake region in the mountainous state of Himachal Pradesh, is losing its lustre. A great deal of its charm has lain in the fact that it is north India’s largest refuge for migrating birds escaping harsh winters abroad. But not for long, if recent trends are any indication.

A low water level in the lake this year has forced the migratory birds to fly away one month in advance, says a report in The Indian Express.

Killing them Surely

Tue, 14 Sep 1999 03:12:15 +0000

Where: Surat, Gujarat, India

November 4, 2000: When a member of the Parsi community dies, according to their religion, the body is not buried or consigned to flames. It is placed in the “Tower of Silence” for the scavenger birds or vultures to feed on them so that even in death the body is of use.

In Surat, Gujarat, till a few years ago, the body would be eaten up in no time in the Tower of Silence or the Dhokma as it is locally called. About 100 to 150 vultures would descend on the body minutes after it was placed on the Dhokhma and consume it in a few minutes.

Army Comes to the Aid of Birds

Wed, 06 Feb 2002 14:07:05 +0000

October 14: Harike sanctuary, a large wetland in India’s Punjab district, has just undergone a massive clean-up operation. The sprucing-up of a large part of the sanctuary has been done to welcome a special group of tourists who had stopped coming to the sanctuary because it had stopped being hospitable.

These tourists used to come all the way from Siberia, China, Central Asia and Ladakh to escape the harsh winter months. They were migratory birds like the cotton teal and common pochard, says a report in ‘The Indian Express’. Almost 360 species of birds have been recorded earlier in the vicinity of the sanctuary.

This Bird Paradise Stinks!

Wed, 16 Jul 2003 04:49:09 +0000

March 19: Are you a bird lover? If you live in Delhi, then the river Yamuna is the place to go to. Yes, that same river that was once Delhi’s pride but has got reduced to a polluted dump with mounds of plastic islands floating on its surface and toxic effluents flowing in from fields.

And yet, birds flock to the Yamuna. Perhaps because there is no other river or wetland region in Delhi, which is predominantly a dry city, says a report in The Hindu.

Operation Rescue of Penguins

Thu, 26 Oct 2000 23:45:28 +0000

July 8: Last week, the South African government was engaged in a very important task – transporting 19,000 penguins from their home in Dassen Island near Cape Town, to safe waters. It was an emergency.

Operation Rescue of Penguins [Illustration by Kusum Chamoli]

The short legged, big bodied birds with pointed beaks did not have the “cute” look that we always see in them. Most of them were covered in slimy oil. Their feathers hung limply by their sides. They were unable to do anything – even eat, and had gone hungry for three days.

ताती ताती तोता

Thu, 11 May 2000 20:46:43 +0000

ताती ताती तोता
पिंजरे में सोता
पंख जो हरे थे
उड़न से भरे थे
हो गये हैं पीले
पड़ गये हैं ढीले
ताती ताती तोता।
ताती ताती तोता
पिंजरो में रोता
झांखते हैं प्यारे
नन्हें नन्हें तारे
कहते है तोता
काहे को तू रोता
अंधकार छोड़ दे
पिंजरो को तोड़ दे
उड़ते उड़ते सारी रात
आके मिल जा अपने साथ
छोटे भाई तोता प्यारा
तू भी बन जा एक सितारा

बच्चों के लिए हिन्दी कविताएँ
Hindi poem for children

Birds bathe in water or dust to help keep clean and get relief from irritat...

Thu, 30 Oct 2003 04:14:39 +0000

Many birds that feed on plants swallow stones and grit to help their bodies...

Wed, 16 May 2001 19:30:32 +0000