Thanks to a few, city birds still have wind beneath wings
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MUMBAI: The city's birds
have yet to sing their swansong. The credit for birding havens that lie
bang in the middle of Mumbai's concrete jungle goes to a motley crew of
men and women who provide birds with food, water and a patch of green
at every inch of space left around their apartment blocks.
There are many reasons why Lokhandwala complex in Andheri makes it to the news. The Paradise Flycatcher isn't one of them. And yet, the bird-boxes strewn around the home of conservationist and bird-lover Sunjoy Monga have turned his home in Andheri into a paradise for flycatchers. In addition to fantail flycatchers, Monga has had purple-rumped sun-birds nesting outside his bedroom.
A bird fanatic, Monga spreads his message through the nest-boxes and bird-feeders that he gifts those around him. The careful choice of plants grown within his apartment complex has a hand in the sort of birds the area attracts. In addition to plants that provide fruit and nectar, Monga has also planted the likes of lemon and karipatta which attract butterflies. The caterpillars that ensue provide food for birds.
"Certain kinds of birds make the most of little nooks and crannies in the city," said Monga. While Mumbai's highrises may not be conducive to sunbirds, Monga has seen some on the twentieth floor of a skyscraper, thanks to balconies with the right sort of plants that provide nectar.
While the city's samaritans may feel they've done their good deed for the day by feeding Mumbai's crows and pigeons, Monga cautions against feeding "the wrong kind of birds." Crows and pigeons need no encouragement; they have already made the most of Mumbai, says Monga.
South Mumbai nature-lover Anandi Laijawala, who beckons parrots and sparrows to her balcony, is careful with the bird-food she scatters around her house. She does not sprinkle grain around her house as she knows it'll attract pigeons. Instead, she's chosen groundnuts which parrots and sparrows feed on. Twenty to thirty parrots frequent her home each day. Once in a while, she's treated to tiny exotic birds that nip into her balcony for a bit.
Much like people, birds need water as much as they need food. Many are squeaky clean and need a bath, too. Little wonder, then, that the troughs of water that environmentalist Indira Bhende has built around her home in Borivli's IC colony are a magnet for a variety of birds. When Bhende turns on the sprinkler to water the host of plants on her compound and terrace, birds scoot in to have a bath." There are sparrows, bulbuls and some tiny ones with yellow breasts," says Bhende.
While much of Mumbai laments its vanishing sparrows, Bhende has had heaps of them, both around her earlier residence in Dahisar as well as her new home in Borivli. "All they need is a patch of grass; they feed off the seeds that lie on it. Untiled, uncemented grassy patches with wild shrubs are ideal for sparrows," she says. Meanwhile, the tenth edition of the annual Mumbai Bird Race will be held in and around the city on Sunday.
There are many reasons why Lokhandwala complex in Andheri makes it to the news. The Paradise Flycatcher isn't one of them. And yet, the bird-boxes strewn around the home of conservationist and bird-lover Sunjoy Monga have turned his home in Andheri into a paradise for flycatchers. In addition to fantail flycatchers, Monga has had purple-rumped sun-birds nesting outside his bedroom.
A bird fanatic, Monga spreads his message through the nest-boxes and bird-feeders that he gifts those around him. The careful choice of plants grown within his apartment complex has a hand in the sort of birds the area attracts. In addition to plants that provide fruit and nectar, Monga has also planted the likes of lemon and karipatta which attract butterflies. The caterpillars that ensue provide food for birds.
"Certain kinds of birds make the most of little nooks and crannies in the city," said Monga. While Mumbai's highrises may not be conducive to sunbirds, Monga has seen some on the twentieth floor of a skyscraper, thanks to balconies with the right sort of plants that provide nectar.
While the city's samaritans may feel they've done their good deed for the day by feeding Mumbai's crows and pigeons, Monga cautions against feeding "the wrong kind of birds." Crows and pigeons need no encouragement; they have already made the most of Mumbai, says Monga.
South Mumbai nature-lover Anandi Laijawala, who beckons parrots and sparrows to her balcony, is careful with the bird-food she scatters around her house. She does not sprinkle grain around her house as she knows it'll attract pigeons. Instead, she's chosen groundnuts which parrots and sparrows feed on. Twenty to thirty parrots frequent her home each day. Once in a while, she's treated to tiny exotic birds that nip into her balcony for a bit.
Much like people, birds need water as much as they need food. Many are squeaky clean and need a bath, too. Little wonder, then, that the troughs of water that environmentalist Indira Bhende has built around her home in Borivli's IC colony are a magnet for a variety of birds. When Bhende turns on the sprinkler to water the host of plants on her compound and terrace, birds scoot in to have a bath." There are sparrows, bulbuls and some tiny ones with yellow breasts," says Bhende.
While much of Mumbai laments its vanishing sparrows, Bhende has had heaps of them, both around her earlier residence in Dahisar as well as her new home in Borivli. "All they need is a patch of grass; they feed off the seeds that lie on it. Untiled, uncemented grassy patches with wild shrubs are ideal for sparrows," she says. Meanwhile, the tenth edition of the annual Mumbai Bird Race will be held in and around the city on Sunday.
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