5 years of Bird Watching

A memory notification from Facebook a few days ago reminded me of a nature camp held at Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR Thekkady, India) in Dec 2012. What makes that camp special for me is my tryst with bird watching started with that camp. Yes, last weekend I completed a personal milestone – 5 years of Bird watching.

I was always a nature lover, never missing out any opportunity to visit forests, hills, lakes or an Indian countryside. But those outings were primarily to enjoy the beauty and the pleasure it brought to my body and mind. It also helped me to develop an interest in photography. Yet, the prime intention of a visit to a forest or a wildlife reserve was always to see a predator - a tiger or a leopard or a bear, a pack of wolves or even a wild dog. And as was the case, I often returned empty-handed, with nothing except a glimpse or two of a monkey, a deer or an elephant. Of my umpteen visits to forests only once in Bandhavgarh (in 2005) did I get lucky to sight the majestic Royal Bengal Tiger. The other big predators of the Indian forests have remained elusive until now. And I always felt I was unlucky when I heard other people mention about their rendezvous with the wild ones. There was a time when I felt visits to jungles were a waste of time, money and effort.

But my perspective towards forests, birds, and nature changed completely during that 2-day camp at PTR – thanks to the three wonderful nature-loving volunteers from Kottayam Nature Society. They introduced me to the world of birds, butterfly, beetles, small insects and animals. I understood that there was much more to see, hear and feel in our Indian jungles than just the big predators that I was chasing. In that camp, I learned that even a small dung beetle, which feeds on the Elephant dung, had an equally important role to play in nature. I was impressed by the knowledge these people had about our forests. And I quickly learned my first lessons in birding from them.

TCS Ecology club Nature Camp at PTR Thekkady 28-30 Dec, 2012

Nature Camp Classroom session by PTR Forest Officials

Participating in such Nature Camps helped me understand birds and nature better

To be frank, until then, my knowledge about birds was very limited. I would have been able to identify, say 10 or maybe 12 bird species in all. Everything in water was a Duck for me and a big bird in flight was an Eagle. Other birds had never existed for me. Earlier I had even admonished Nisha a couple of times when she spent some time taking pictures of the birds during one of our jungle visits.

My next big step in birding came within a few weeks of that camp when I attended the annual Vembanad Bird Census. A couple of classroom sessions on bird identification and the actual bird survey with some of the best birders in Kerala got me hooked. Interacting with committed naturalists and getting to learn about bird behaviour and its impact on us was a revelation. Since then the interest developed and over the next few months, bird watching became an inevitable part of my life. Whether it was a forest, lake, dam, sea, garden, shore, roadside or home yard, if I got an opportunity I would walk around and do some time bird watching. I found it to be therapeutic.

Vembanad Lake Bird Survey,  Jan 2013 

Bird watching has helped me in understanding how unique and different each landscape is. The symbiotic relationship between the birds and nature is very fascinating. I started appreciating how even a small change in weather pattern or felling of a particular tree or man made encroachment can have such devastating effect on our future.

Bird watching has made me a better human being, sensitive to all the organisms around me. Hours in the field has improved my observation and hearing skills, trained me to pick out minor movements even from a far distance.

The best time to bird in India is usually the early mornings, just after dawn and before the sun heats you up. Thus, lazy weekends when I used to sleep late into the day, became a thing of the past. Bird watching gave a new purpose to my weekends.

Though you can observe birds from your room or balcony or even from a car, it is quite limiting as you are stationary most of the time. If you want to sight more birds or experience nature, there is no better way than exploring on foot. Bird watching on foot is a good exercise - an hour of birding means you’d have walked a kilometre or two. Over the last 5 years, I would have walked thousands of kilometres just by bird watching. Good side effects of a hobby!

It is amazing how a small creature like a bird can bring together people from different occupations and backgrounds. And I am indeed lucky to have made good friend with some of them. Social media platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter have also helped in grooming this relationship. Increasingly we are seeing the birding community in Kerala come together to drive various initiatives to create awareness about nature and working with government/other agencies to protect our birds, forests and environment.

Bird watching has also provided me with a platform to contribute to the society by way of participatory Bird Monitoring programs like the Asian Water Bird Census, Annual Bird surveys in Kerala forests/Vembanad Lake/Thrissur Kole and Kerala Bird Atlas among others. All my birding field trips since 2014 are uploaded into eBird website, which is an online database of bird observations. And I am hoping that all my bird sightings, field notes, and photographs will provide scientists, researchers and amateur naturalists with enough real-time data about bird distribution and abundance. Though I could not become a scientist professionally, bird watching has converted me into a Citizen Scientist!!

Thrissur Kole Bird Survey, Jan 2016

Vazhachal Forest Bird Survey, Sep 2015

Back here in the UK, I have picked up bird watching activity in the last few months, especially after a very lean 2016-2017 season. I will consider the last five years birding experience as stepping-stone to a more proactive contribution towards birding and nature. I need to return the favour to the avian species for all the joy, knowledge and entertainment they have provided me.

Happy Birding in 2018 and beyond !!

Mesmerising Murmurations on the Mere

Last winter, during our visit to the RSPB Leighton Moss reserve, we were told that if we waited till dusk, we could get to see a very remarkable phenomenon called murmuration by the starling bird. We had to let go the opportunity then as we had to catch our return train around that time.

Then, a few weeks ago, I read on social media that the murmuration can be watched at the WWT Martin Mere. The Mere was hosting the North West Birding Fair during the 3rd weekend of November. So, if we attended the bird fair, figuratively, it would be killing two birds with one stone–have a look at the fair as well get another opportunity to witness the grand spectacle.

It was a very hectic Sunday at the fair, watching the Bird Ringing procedure, followed by some heavy-duty birding and bird feeding activity. The WWT staff advised us we should be at the Harrier hide shortly before sunset, around 4 pm, to get a good view of the starling murmuration.

Eurpoean Starling

Before talking about my experience, let me briefly introduce you to Starlings and murmuration. The European starling, or simply Starling in the UK, is a medium-sized passerine bird belonging to the starling family. From a distance, the European Starling (Starling) may look black coloured but as you get closer, their glossiness with sheen of purples and green will be clearly visible. They are highly sociable birds and move in large flocks. Just as a collection of crows is called Murder, a collection of starlings is called a murmuration!! And we were at the Mere to watch the starling murmuration in action.

Starling murmurations are typically seen at dusk throughout Europe between November and February. During the autumn/winter months, there are higher starling numbers in the UK due to the migration from the colder Northern Europe. Until 1980s murmurations were regularly seen across the UK, but due to the falling starling numbers, it is now restricted to few locations, specifically to the rural areas with reed beds. Though most murmurations comprise thousands or sometimes hundreds of thousands of starlings, there have been some massive numbers as well. In 1999-2000 at the Shapwick Heath National Reserve, a murmuration of more than 6 million starlings was recorded. That would have been something really spectacular!!

It being our first visit to the WWT Martin Mere, we were not aware of the location of Harrier Hide. It was easy to pick up the path as you just had to follow the mass of people who were walking towards it. By the time we reached the hide at 3.45 pm, it was already jam-packed and there was no way we could get a good view from the hide. So we walked out of the hide and went down to the open fields, which were also crowded and contained no less than 500 people. I could see the reed beds some hundred metres away and understood that this would be the roosting ground for the starlings.

Spectators watching the Murmuration 

Spectators enjoying the show - The Hide behind

The sun was going down quickly, and it was almost 4 pm when I spotted a flock of starlings converging from our left-hand side. Within the next few minutes, we could see the magnificent display of Starling murmuration taking place right in front of our eyes. As the autumn daylight faded away, small flocks of starlings coming in from all directions began to join up, twisting and turning in harmony forming a visual delight. Sometimes they split up and moved into smaller flocks to reunite. With each manoeuvre, we could see hundreds of starlings drop down to their roosting site, only to quickly re-emerge into the sky. A couple of times there were near mid-air collisions between the starlings and smaller flocks of Pink-footed Geese, which flew into their path. This did create some commotion, however, the starlings once again grouped together and went about their action. It was also funny to spot few laggards joining the formation very late in the show and adding to the count. It was a visual treat to watch 50,000 starlings demonstrate unpredictable patterns and acrobatics in the sky.

Formation of a pattern

Another pattern formation

Zoom view of the murmuration

There is still a lot of debate as to why do starlings form murmurations. The generally accepted theory is that murmurations are an indication or signal attracting all the starlings in the area so that they can roost together. This grouping together not only manages predation risk but also provide shelter and warmth from the harsh weather. But this process of accumulating huge numbers invariably attracts predators. As explained by selfish herd theory, an individual bird within a flock attempt to reduce its predation risk by moving continuously to the centre of the flock. But the centre never stabilises as each individual bird is trying to attempt the same and this perpetual motion leads to this unique phenomenon. To the naked eye, it looked like a swarm of bees. 

Is that a whale in the sky ?

The murmuration and the trees give a Dino formation

It is a marvel how thousands of birds know and decide when and where to turn together, in sync. Recent research shows that each starling while flying follows its six or seven immediate neighbours. And they don’t collide or bump into each other due to their lightning-fast reactions and strong spatial coherence. Thus, when a single starling changes direction or speed, the whole flock responds as if the information has spread in real-time across the flock. Beyond theories and conjectures, today hundreds of biologists, sociologists, mathematicians, physicists and scientists across the world are still researching to find the exact reasons behind this unique behaviour by using latest technologies.

The Milky Way formation

Starlings sending out love through the Heart Pattern formation

Throughout this awe-inspiring performance, which lasted 15 to 20 minutes, there were constant "Oohs" and "Aahs" from the thrilled crowd. The grand show ended, when, with a swoop all the starlings disappeared into the reed beds to get their well-deserved night break. Actually, I felt like clapping and giving a standing ovation to these beautiful birds for providing us with a humbling experience.

Check out the short video of the murmuration - Real action starts after 35 secs

The Legend of Liver Bird

One of the highlights of the apartment where we stay in Liverpool is the wonderful bird's-eye view we get of the town from the balcony. When I turn my head diagonally to the far right, I can see two statues atop the clock tower on the Royal Liver building at the Liverpool’s Pierhead on the banks of the River Mersey. I initially mistook this creature to be some kind of dragon or a seahorse, the handiwork of an overzealous medieval architect.

Later, while I was going through the council tax bill, my attention was drawn to the emblem of the Liverpool City Council (Council) which looked strikingly similar to the winged creature I get to see daily from my balcony. However, the winged creature on the council emblem looked like a bird to me.

During a casual chat with a colleague, I learned that the bird on that emblem was called the “Liver bird” (pronounced as Lyver) and the city took its name from this mythical bird. As I explored and read more, it dawned on me that the Liver bird was inseparable from the city, popping out and making its presence felt in all spheres of life. 

Royal Liver Building, Liverpool Pierhead

And indeed the birds atop the Royal Liverpool Building (built in 1911) are the most famous and photographed Liver birds – Bella and Bertie. As with most fables, nobody knows where the names and gender of the two birds originated from.  Folklore has it that the female bird is looking towards the sea to watch over the city’s seamen who are out working to provide for their families. And the male bird is looking inwards towards the city to watch over the families who have been left behind. It is also believed that the two Liver birds have been tightly chained to the building to ensure they don’t fly away. For, if it happens, there will be a natural calamity for Liverpool in the form of floods and the city may be destroyed forever.

The chained Liver Bird - Royal Liver Building

Liver Bird atop the Clock Tower - Royal Liver Building

The Liver bird has been associated with the city of Liverpool for at least 800 years. There are surviving Royal seal impressions from 1352, which depicted a generic bird with a plant sprig in its beak. Some historians say the bird on the seal was almost certainly intended to be an eagle, the symbol of John the Evangelist, who was the patron saint of King John, the then ruler of England. Others have theorised that the bird on the seal was a dove with an olive branch.

13th Century Liverpool Seal Impression
Source - Wikipedia

Liverpool City Council Coat of Arms
Source - Wikipedia

Though there have been pictorial representations of this bird in many historical documents related to the city, it is only in 1668 that it is referenced by a name – the “Leaver” bird. It seems that over the next few centuries the “Leaver” bird came to be called as the Liver bird. Some linguists suggest that “Leaver” can be a corrupted version of the Dutch word “Lefler” which stands for Spoonbill. As the legend around this bird grew, it seems that pictorial depiction also changed over the centuries. The historical references and representations from 16th and 17th century also suggest that this bird may indeed be a cormorant, which was a fairly common bird to the seafarers. Thus, in modern times, Liver birds have been commonly drawn as a variation of the cormorant and its representation can be found in more than 100 locations across Liverpool.

From the streets of Liverpool 

The Liver bird is now unofficially acknowledged as the symbol of Liverpool and it appears on all sorts of souvenirs, buildings, paintings, logos and in fables. It also appears on the masthead of the highly circulated local tabloid Liverpool Echo. The Liver bird was also the symbol of the Bank of Liverpool, which merged with Martins Bank in 1918, followed by its acquisition by Barclays Bank in 1969. When the Beatles mania was ruling the world in the 1960s there was an all-female rock band called “The Liverbirds” playing in the pubs of Liverpool. There was also a popular 1970s British sitcom aptly titled “The Liver Birds” on the lives of 2 women from Liverpool.

The liver bird is also associated with Liverpool’s biggest sporting icons - Liverpool Football Club (LFC) and Everton Football Club (Everton). And the city's  most famous bird takes prominence on the logo of LFC, one of the most identifiable football emblems in the world today. As branding and marketing became the buzzword in modern football, in order to stop fake club merchandise, in 2008, LFC attempted to trademark the version of the Liver Bird on its logo. This led to a bitter tussle between the Council and LFC on the legitimacy of the ownership of the Liver bird. Finally, in 2010, an agreement was reached between the two parties, LFC finally trademarked the Liver bird with the European trademark office, and the Council filed a trademark with the British Intellectual Property Office. Everton also featured the Liver bird prominently on medals and souvenirs until 1930 when it was replaced with the "Lockup". There is a sense of pathos amongst Evertonians that the Liver bird is now associated with LFC and they are no longer a part of this legend.

From what I have seen of the modern representation of the bird, it looks to me more like a cormorant than an eagle, or a dove or a spoonbill or any other bird of prey. And the most interesting thing is that each version of the bird is slightly different but every depiction is immediately identifiable as a Liver bird. It is truly a unique species - you'll never find a mention in any ornithology or birding books, or the birding lists of eBird or BirdTrack. But the legend lives on!!

As they say, you will never walk alone in Liverpool, the Liver bird always gives you company.

Spring in a Watch

After coming to the UK the 2 birding events which I keep looking forward are BBC Springwatch and the UK Bird fair. Since BBC Autumnwatch is being broadcast this week it would be timely for me to pen my thoughts on this television series. And leave my UK Birdfair experience to a future blog.

Just like Olympics making its appearance every four years, BBC TV has been broadcasting live the best of British wildlife three times in a year every summer, autumn and winter which is appropriately titled - BBC Springwatch, BBC Autumnwatch and BBC Winterwatch. Springwatch is broadcast 4 nights each week for three weeks during May-June every year. Whereas its spinoffs - the Autumnwatch and Winterwatch are broadcast for 4 nights during October (autumn) and January (winter) months respectively.

The program format is very simple & straightforward. The 1-hour live program is presented by some of the most well-known wildlife celebrities from one of the nature reserves in the UK. This is one of the largest outside broadcast events from BBC as more than hundred crew members and 50 cameras, mostly hidden and remotely controlled, capture the fortunes of the British wildlife through the 3 seasons.

Unlike a documentary which generally focusses on a specific species or some location or an event, the hidden cameras in Springwatch takes you through the life and times, struggles for survival, behavior, eating habits, of not only birds or the mammals like foxes, badgers, mice, deer, rabbits, stoats or hedgehogs but also of flowers, butterflies, ants, fish, snakes & many such tiny creatures, which we do not even think about. Only yesterday I learned that there is an Earthworm society in Britain to promote and support scientific research for earthworms and their environment!! The series also highlights the good work being done by various people across Britain towards conservation. 

What hooked me onto Springwatch last year was the story of the Golden Eagle chick from the Scottish highlands. And when the golden eagle chick finally fledged I was also amongst the hundreds who enjoyed that moment. Each of the stories presented in the series is not only informative in nature but also presented in an entertaining manner which will thrill and move any viewer. I felt like crying when the Eurasian Jay preyed on the blue tit chicks one by one from the nest.  And it gives me goosebumps every time when an update is provided about the latest location status of a migrating bird. Almost every series has some unique field experiments/tests on the wildlife which brings out the behavior of a particular specie. A case in the point was the mouse experiment in the food maze in the Winterwatch 2016. Absolutely brilliant!!

It is like watching a reality TV show but here the stars are all the other cohabitants of Planet Earth, apart from humans.

British TV has been blessed to have Live Natural History TV programs like Badgerwatch, Birdwatch, Reefwatch, Beachwatch and such other shows since the 1970s.  And the rich history and presence of matured audience have helped Springwatch to evolve into a beacon for spreading nature education and conservation in the UK. As per TV ratings, every episode of Springwatch 2017 was watched by an average 2.2 million people.  It has a strong social media presence with the BBC Springwatch official website offering video content allowing viewers and program makers to interact through the message board, blogs, Facebook and Twitter accounts. And I have seen thousands of twitter feeds & social media posts which keeps the public engaged.

With all this going around, a thought comes to me - why have we not attempted a Live Natural History program in India, which has a fabulous & diverse wildlife flora and fauna. We have the biodiversity, passionate wildlife experts/ naturalists, dedicated conservationists, iconic organizations like BNHS /other natural societies, researchers, brilliant filmmakers, highly effervescent media and a large market. And above all, there is a need to protect India’s nature and wildlife which is under threat every minute as I type this. I know there will be challenges like liaising with government agencies and getting permission to shoot in forest/reserves. Another major deterrent will be the huge costs involved in producing such a series even on a modest scale. But I am hoping we will have a #Indiawatch soon live on Indian TV for Indian audience charting the fortunes of Indian wildlife.

Like all good things, BBC Autumnwatch 2017 will come to an end - the 4^th and final episode will be broadcast tonight. And now for Winterwatch – January I am Waiting.

The Flying Beauties

Few days ago as I was cleaning up my wardrobe, my hands fell on a “SAVE THE HORNBILL” branded T-shirt, which I have seldom worn since coming to the UK. Sighting of this T-shirt transported me back in memory to a Hornbill experience which was simply out of the world. This happened couple of years ago when information had flown in through our birding friends that a flock of Malabar Pied Hornbills can be sighted early in the morning at the Plantation Valley near Athirapalli. When we got this update, we quickly made our plans to do birding in that area for the coming weekend lest we miss out this opportunity.

Hornbills are one of the strange looking birds I have ever seen. It looks as if it has come out of the Jurassic era. And Malabar Pied Hornbills look even bizarre. This species measures 65 cm in length with a dark plumage all over, except a white patch on the belly & throat. What gives this bird a unique look is its large curved creamy yellow bill and a large black and creamy white casque.  The legs are covered with white feathers and the feet are bare and grey. And in flight they look magnificent just like their cousins – the Great Hornbill. The Malabar pied Hornbill species feast mainly on mostly fruits, berries, figs and sometimes small mammals, small birds, small reptiles and insects. Malabar Pied Hornbills are endemic to low elevation forests in limited locations of South India and Sri Lanka.

Sangeetha, a fellow TCSer friend volunteered to take us to the spot as she had been there an earlier weekend. Athirapalli was approximately 2 hour drive, to be precise 60 km, from Tripunithura where we stayed. When we started early morning from our home at half past four on 7^th March, it was pitch dark outside. Picking up Sangeetha on the way we reached near Plantation valley when dawn was about to break. We parked our car on the roadside and walked into the vacant grassland adjacent to  the Chalakudy River. This patch was an ideal spot for birding since we could see trees on all the four sides so any flight or movement could be easily sighted. Though there was not much birding activity l we could still see few Orioles, Bulbuls, Mynas, Bee-eaters, Drongos, Parakeets and crows flying around, endlessly chirping.

As we waited to see the grand spectacle of a flock of Malabar Pied Hornbill there, doubts crept into my mind as to whether these birds will give it a miss on a Saturday, just like we take time off from our work during weekends. But that was not to be.

At exactly 6.35 am, we heard the flapping of wings and the first Hornbill came into our view. It came and perched on a tree to our right, some 100 meters away. This was followed by a couple, then by few more hornbills.  Within a few minutes, the entire patch of land was reverberating with the screaming “rrraah..rrraah" sound not from 1 but at least 30 plus hornbills perched along the trees along the Chalakudy River. It seemed that the hornbills were gorging on fruits/figs from the tree or playing games with each other - or was it some morning ritual? I don’t know, but I have never seen such a sight until then.

Though I had seen Malabar Pied Hornbills on couple of occasions earlier, the air show by this flock was simply awesome. And for these five minutes I was transported to another world - hornbills flying from one tree to another, chasing each other and in the process entertaining us with this grand visual treat. I have read reports that we get absolutely stunning group sightings of this amazing bird in Dandeli in Karnataka which is surely in my birding agenda.

The early morning mist in the forest area prevented us from getting any great photographs. However my eyes captured each movement and is etched in my memory. I don’t know whether we will ever be able to see such beauty pageants in the years to come since there may be no more Malabar Pied Hornbills flying around in our forests. The IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) has categorized and evaluated the Hornbill species as "Near Threatened". The Athirappalli-Vazhachal forests are the only available nesting location for the threatened Malabar Pied Hornbills in Kerala. The umbilical relationship these birds have with this rain forest is now threatened due to the 163-MW Athirapalli hydroelectric project proposed by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB). It is said that this project may affect 138 hectares of forest land which includes the high canopy trees where the Hornbills nest. Anyway, deforestation, human disturbance and, to a lesser extent, poaching in these forests have already created the imbalance in the biodiversity of the Western Ghats. And it seems we may now be nearing the 'Point Of No Return' for these stunning birds in Athirappalli-Vazhachal forests.

PS: My “Save The Hornbill” branded T-shirt is now ironed and ready, awaiting a sunny weekend for birding. 

Little Poll Parrot

Two of the beauties we spotted

Last weekend, during our bird walk in Liverpool Sefton Park I heard the squawking call of a very familiar bird. It was coming from the tall trees in the wooded area to my left. I stopped in my track as I took out my binoculars and started gazing into the trees from where the call was heard. My wife Nisha came up from behind and confirmed my doubt that it was indeed the call of a Rose-ringed Parakeet. No sooner did she say that, than we saw a couple of parakeets fly out and disappear into another set of trees 50 metres away. And in the next few minutes, we saw at least 4 parakeets fly in and out of the woods with all the squealing and squawking. Though we did not get any good photographs, we could capture few record shots of this magnificent bird.

During my growing up years in North Indian cities, we used to see this bird fly across the blue sky into any wooded area or a garden. These birds have always been part of Indian folklore, songs & culture. I have always considered them a common Indian bird, just like a mynah or a bulbul. One of my friends in Lucknow had this exotic, beautiful looking bird as a pet. These birds were excellent mimics and when trained could speak in the native language. We would spend hours feeding it with chillies & nuts and enjoy its ‘Namaste’. Of course, in those days we called it a Parrot. And it was only after my bird watching hobby picked up that I learned that Vernal Hanging Parrot was the only “Parrot” found in India and what we admired was actually a Parakeet, specifically a Rose Ringed Parakeet.

Rose Ringed Parakeet is a medium sized gregarious bird with yellow-green plumage, hooked reddish-pinkish beak and long graduated tail. As the name suggests, the male sports a reddish – pinkish neck ring whereas the female and juvenile birds of both sexes either show no neck rings or display shadow-like pale to dark grey neck rings. In the wild, rose-ringed parakeets usually feed on nuts, berries, seeds, buds, fruits & vegetables. This bird is found across India right from foothills of Himalayas to the plains, urban areas, open countryside with trees, dry and open forest, semi-desert areas, open bushy areas, wooded valleys and evergreen forests.

And when I sighted this bird the first time in the Britain at Sefton Park last year, I was thrilled and happy as if I were meeting an old acquaintance. There was another sighting of this bird at the Greenwich Park in London in May this year. It is indeed a marvel of nature that a tropical Indian bird has so well adapted to the British climate and conditions, especially the harsh winters. These birds probably first came from India to Britain as pets but then escaped into the wild. The first reported breeding in the wild took place in 1969 and since then there has been a rapid increase in their numbers. The current RSPB official counts pegs at a breeding population of 8600 pairs. There are now large flocks residing in South East England, in London parks (all the 33 London boroughs have reported this species), North West, Scotland and other parts of the country.

On the other hand, it is now believed that these naturalised species have started to have had a direct impact on the dwindling numbers of the resident British bird species like nuthatches, woodpeckers, starlings, tits...etc. There is fierce competition not only for food but also for nest holes - the parakeet starts nesting early in Feb, much before the other British resident birds. Some experts are also comparing parakeets with the grey squirrels that have largely driven out the red squirrels across Britain. To safeguard the native species, there have been calls for culling of the parakeets, however, RSPB is not in favour of such a move and advocates close monitoring of the growing number of parakeets and its negative impact. Though an introduced species, the parakeets are nevertheless protected in the wild under the Wildlife and Countryside Act.

This is the story of the Rose-Ringed Parakeet which initially arrived in Britain on a Pet visa (Tourist visa) converted it into Migration visa (Work Permit) and finally became a resident citizen. Due to the rising numbers, the original resident species feeling threatened call for culling and extermination of the migrated species. Eerie coincidence!! Heard this argument somewhere?