Tag: Birds
17 Results
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Our mythological birds
The Homa bird, of Vedic times, lives and breeds in the air, lays eggs in the air, and, before the eggs reach the earth, they hatch and the baby bird flies upward to join its mother. Persian, Turkish and Sufi poets praise them as divine birds, and birds of paradise
March 13, 2019 -
Do you understand what birds say?
In mythology and medieval literature, the language of the birds is considered divine, used by them to communicate with only the initiated.
January 6, 2019 -
Why you should feed birds, animals and Brahmins during Pitri Paksha
If birds and animals eat the offering, it is indication that the departed soul is happy.
September 30, 2018 -
Down the river
ONE of the great attractions of the Manas sanctuary, the masheer fishing that it offers was wasted on me since I am no angler. However, I did see plenty of the river, for when we left the sanctuary we took a boat and went miles down the Manas before continuing the journey over land. I …
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September 29, 2018 -
The end rather than the means
The New Caledonian crow’s style of learning may resemble the one followed by primitive humans.
July 4, 2018 -
In pics: Birds of different feathers in Raipur
April 18, 2018 -
Concern as kites fall ill, die in Siliguri
Nature lovers in Siliguri have voiced concern after several black kites started falling ill in Siliguri since last night. While some of the 46 birds dropped dead, most of them fell on the ground ill and died later. “Ninety per cent of the birds that fell ill have died,” officials of the Himalayan Nature and …
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April 8, 2018 -
Heart-stopping and majestic
Every time I discussed my tiger tales from Tadoba, Pench or Corbett with someone from Kolkata, I was always confronted with one question, “Are there any chances of a tiger sighting in the Sunderbans? I have heard it is almost impossible.” I would highlight recent tiger sighting posts on social media but deep within would …
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March 11, 2018 -
Spoon-fed in the south
Few birds are so unmistakable as a spoonbill. It is a truly grotesque bird when one analyses its looks, with the long, wading feet of a stork, the plump body of a duck, a distinctive nuchal crest in the breeding season, and a bill remarkably like a flat-stemmed spatula. When young it looks more like …
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March 11, 2018 -
Bird flu detected in Paradip
The district administration continued culling operations for the second day and 450 birds were disposed in the wake of avian flu in slums of Sandhkuda and Badapadia here. A team of community medicine department officers from the Central government headed by Leena Bandopadhya visited Sandhkuda, Badapadia and surrounding areas of Paradip Municipality. They also interacted …
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February 27, 2018 -
Fewer winged guests at Pong reservoir this year
Lesser number of migratory birds from Siberia and other Central Asian countries made it to Pong Dam in Kangra district this year, owing to fluctuating climatic conditions in Himachal Pradesh. Though the number of species has risen from 93 to 117 this year. The findings have been revealed in 3-day long annual waterfowl count at …
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February 2, 2018 -
Trapped in tiny cages
One of the most important reports to come out in the last few years is the August 2017 CSIR-NEERI report on poultry farms in India. The National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) is an excellent scientific research institution. When I was Minister for the Environment I used them as my resource base. The report has …
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November 5, 2017 -
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Marvelling at winged wonders
Though the visit was not according to exact seasonal timings, the habitats of the Keoladeo Ghana National Park (formerly the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary) in Rajasthan put forth a bountiful welcome. One’s joy knew no bounds after finding a Crested Serpent Eagle after a brisk walk! The long metalled road constructed to the very depths of …
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October 15, 2017 -
The eagle and the serpents
There are some creatures that are typical of our deciduous forests all over the country, and one of these is the Crested Serpent Eagle-in one species or another, it is found wherever there are forests in India. Unlike the majority of raptorial birds, it is easily recognised, once known. It is a somewhat heavily built …
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October 1, 2017 -
Nesting time
There’s a certain pleasure in watching a bird build its nest, rear the young ones and watch them fly away. While different birds nest at various times of the year, spring and summer months are the most preferred. The early morning cacophony of birds quarrelling over precious nesting sites and mates can be more effective …
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September 11, 2017 -
Where the birds are
Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns. ~ George Eliot Soon, monsoon will end. Autumn is coming. Fly like the birds, and go where you choose to go. If you are for the birds, going where the …
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August 29, 2017