I found watching this Rufous treepie interesting and absorbing a few days back. Normally, it is a bird which flies high and moves between tall trees. As this bird moved between easily visible flight stations, I was able to watch its attentive and communicative look, while at each flight station.
The impression is that this family of birds 'is most intelligent birds studied, with skills possessed only by humans and a few other higher order mammals'.
What has often surprised me is, its immaculately groomed body, shining and gorgeously colourful plumage. I have yet to sight a white bellied tree pie, which according to the photographs I saw, is even more elegant in appearance. They share this feature of a well groomed body with the common crows, to whose family the treepies belong.
The trend in today's fashion pursuit is to appear shabby and atypically dressed. I noticed a four year old boy in a village near Madhepura in Bihar, wearing a deliberately transversely slit jeans around the knees, with was over used, attending a pre-school readiness programme. He had long unkept hair and loose shirt hiding his slim body. It is a village where only less about 20 percent have a TV at home and around the same level of coverage of smartphone. But this boy was already in the 'fashion pursuit'!
The glamour world of fashion, visibility and 'appearance' created by the hugely successful advertisement, modelling, and publicity firms, are enticing the youth of this country to believe in this approach as a way of life. The down side of this is an erosion of values and behaviour what was normal and natural for childhood.
I took a walk along a street, before activities began in the street in the vicinity of a hospital, in Bihar.
What a I found was people living differently from what is common in an urban setting. They live without all the glamour attached to an urban life style. Life is changing socially, economically, behaviourally and relationally.
The avian world has faced enormous challenges amidst these changes in the urban and peri-urban settings in many parts of India. People, their behaviour, aspirations and life style have changed. The habitat of birds have changed following these changes. With trees felled, green fields getting crowded with concrete structures, waterbodies covered to reclaim land, and open spaces becoming residential areas, the stress on birds to find their food and shelter is enormous.
It was while watching this Magpie Robin, I realised how birds have to live content with what they find. The Magpie Robins normally are fond of bushes and trees for their flight movements. This bird moved between parapets of buildings without making the usual long flights between tall trees. They are denied of berries, insects, and worms that they are fond of.
Children and their outlook to life and choice of life style are changing even in rural areas. The avian life is under stress!
It is amidst this reality, I admire the birds like Rufous tree pie, who thrive amidst all the challenges to perpetuate their good habits and rituals!
Life is for living and learning to experience fullness !
M.C.Mathew (text and photo)
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