Let The Birds Sing

Chasing the lost symphonies of God’s feathered creations.

- Ankita Das

Growing up in a small town in Odisha, listening to the mellifluous songs of the flamboyantly-coloured birds in my backyard, I was curious to know how things were so perfectly designed, and what principles drove the balance, in nature. Birds is what connected me with nature. They are like ethereal spirits, their melodious symphonies enlightening my soul.

Moreover, Dr A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s words, “The bird is powered by its own life and by its motivation”, inspired me.

THE ROAD NOT TAKEN

My dream was to become an environmentalist or a wild-lifer. I have always been fascinated by elements of nature, and around them I feel eternal bliss being in forests, strolling alongside rivers, and trekking among the mountains. It connects me with myself. I feel spiritually enlightened. Inspired by nature poet Robert Frost, I preferred to choose “The road not taken”.

After completing my schooling from Odisha, I went to New Delhi for my higher studies. I worked on the diversity of bird acoustics for my masters. During my fieldwork in Delhi’s various public gardens, carrying a recorder in one hand and a microphone in the other, enduring comments and curiosity from passers-by, a question haunted me every time, “Where have the birds gone?”

ACOUSTIC COMMUNICATION

Many animals use acoustics as their primary form of communication. Birds are acoustically active organisms and communicate with each other through acoustic signals. These signals help in manifold purposes like mate selection, parent-offspring interaction, flock interaction, conflict resolution, threats, alarms, and territorial calls. Birds usually vocalize during dawn (dawn chorus) and dusk (roosting chorus) because there is less wind turbulence and less background noise at these times.