Episode 75: Gynandomorphism in birds with Dr. Hamish Spencer
Bird Podcast with Shoba Narayan
The sex of a bird – whether it is male or female – is one of the most critical aspects of its biology. Males and females often behave differently, especially during the breeding season, and in many species, they have strikingly different plumages. This episode features Dr. Hamish Spencer, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Otago in southern New Zealand. Hamish was recently in Colombia, where he was shown a that violated these rules. Colombian ornithologist John Murillo had discovered a very unusual Green Honeycreeper (Chlorophanes spiza) on his farm near Manizales in Colombia...
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Episode 74: A pigeon’s nest at home and its ripple effects
Bird Podcast with Shoba Narayan
When a pigeon comes into the house. This is a controversial episode. In fact, I am pretty sure nobody in the nature groups that I am part of will approve of this. In fact, they may even condemn this episode. Because you see, it is about pigeons, which birders call flying pests. But here’s what happened and so, if you listen or watch this episode, advance apologies. About six months ago, a rock pigeon made a nest in my mother-in-law's balcony. This episode is about the ripple effects after that. One day, I returned after a long trip and visited my mother-in-law...
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Episode 73: Birds and Shola Forests with Dr. V.V. Robin
Bird Podcast with Shoba Narayan
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Special Episode: How did you get into birding
Bird Podcast with Shoba Narayan
Here is a special episode about how different Bangalore birding experts got into birding.
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Episode 72: Birding in Mauritius
Bird Podcast with Shoba Narayan
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Episode 71: The biodiverse splendour of Bhutan
Bird Podcast with Shoba Narayan
This episode is about Bhutan: carbon-negative, Buddhist and a pioneer in sustainable tourism. This tiny country, about the size of Switzerland contains species. In comparison, neighbouring India— nearly ten times the size— has just 1200 species. Here we talk to Namgay Tshering a freelance birding guide about the birds of Bhutan. Specifically he mentions the Beautiful Nuthatch, the Blyth’s tragopan, the Himalayan Monal and others. He talks about how Eastern and Southern Bhutan are a haven for birdwatchers, perhaps because the main cities of Paro, Thimphu and Punakha are...
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Episode 70: Toucanets and hummingbirds in Costa Rica
Bird Podcast with Shoba Narayan
In this episode, we talk to a resident naturalist about the motmots, hummingbirds and toucanets that you can see in Costa Rica.
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Episode 69: The Resplendent Quetzal of Costa Rica
Bird Podcast with Shoba Narayan
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Episode 68: Delhi birds with Sudhir Vyas
Bird Podcast with Shoba Narayan
Delhi and its neighbourhoods, with its variety of habitats and landscapes, is remarkable for the wealth and diversity of its avifauna. It is a true haven for bird lovers, home to an astonishing array of over 470 captivating bird species. Get ready for an enchanting adventure with Sudhir Vyas's delightful book, "The Birds of the Delhi Area," which is the ultimate guide to unlocking the secrets of these feathered wonders! This book has been edited by Anita Mani under Indian Pitta- India's first imprint dedicated to birds. With over 50 years of bird watching experience, Sudhir Vyas, a former...
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Episode 67: The three-wattled bell-bird, Monteverde, Costa Rica
Bird Podcast with Shoba Narayan
This is the first of three episodes about the bird life in Costa Rica. This one focuses on the and the episode is set in the . Listen to the bellbird on Youtube here. Thanks to these photographers for their images Thanks to Michael Brooks for this video of the bird calling Featured image from Wikimedia Commons :
info_outlineThis episode is about demoiselle cranes congregating in a village in India.
Last month, on a trip to Rajasthan, I visited the village of Kheechan. To get here, you have to fly to Jodhpur and drive two hours North. The thing about this place is that every winter, some 20,000 Demoiselle cranes congregate here because they are fed morning and night with grains or jowar. In this episode we explore the Demoiselle cranes that migrate to a Jain village in Western Rajasthan. These are the smallest cranes among the 15 species of cranes in the world. What’s interesting is the attachment that they have with the villagers of Kheechan. Here, they have a daily routine.
Read about how a community feeds the cranes here. And read about sacred spaces called orans here.
From here: “Demoiselle cranes have to take one of the toughest migrations in the world. In late August through September, they gather in flocks of up to 400 individuals and prepare for their flight to their winter range. During their migratory flight south, demoiselles fly like all cranes, with their head and neck straight forward and their feet and legs straight behind, reaching altitudes of 16, 000 – 26, 000 m. Along their arduous journey they have to cross the Himalayan mountains to get to their over-wintering grounds in India. Many die from fatigue, hunger and predation from golden eagles. Simpler, lower routes are possible, such as crossing the range via the Khyber Pass. However, their presently preferred route has been hard-wired by countless cycles of migration. At their wintering grounds, demoiselles have been observed flocking with common cranes, their combined totals reaching up to 20, 000 individuals. Demoiselles maintain separate social groups within the larger flock. In March and April, they begin their long spring journey back to their northern nesting grounds.
They are part of Indian lore and legend. The crane formation was part of the Mahabharata. Valmiki composed the Ramayana when he saw a hunter kill cranes that were occupied in a mating dance.