Calling birds??

Are you interested in “bird watching”? Are you a true “bird lover”? Do you think it is very difficult to locate the bird and one requires lots of patience to see/locate them?  Then please note this is all “old school” now (Unfortunately). Locating a bird is very easy these days… All you need to do is - find names of birds living in a particular area; get the recorded call of those birds (download) on your cell phones or any other instrument that has speakers and play the same while you are out for bird watching. Poor bird thinks someone is giving a call, moves here & there and tries to find out who is it? Either by calling back in response or just by coming out in an open area. And then, it comes to know that what a fool it was made by a birder/group leader-leading a group of nature enthusiasts. The bird becomes fool and you become a winner, you got to see it. Probably you may get a very good photograph. This has become a common site in case of many unfortunate areas including few protected areas of our country.

If you think you found a better way to watch the birds then, please hold it. Playing music/records in the protected area is a crime at the first place (you are disturbing a bird in its natural surrounding). Second, it is not ethical way of birding. Birds may break their nests if it is a nesting season, with fear that someone has located their nest and it is dangerous for their survival. Bird will remain continuously under pressure of ‘who’s calling me?’ Another important thing is some hunters/poachers may use this technique to hunt down the birds. Thinking that nobody will notice as it is a general practice (this is just my fear). Bird/wildlife scientists that practice this, have permissions (which is difficult to get) from authorities and it related to their research. General bird lovers do it just for the sake of satisfying their thirst to see the bird. They take such foolish steps. The activity of Birding develops a level of patience in the observer and helps him/her in understanding the importance of nature. Birding will bring joy to ones soul if it is done in an ethical way. Otherwise hunger to see more and more birds will go on increasing unnecessarily.

Today, we are celebrating ‘The Mothers Day’. This weekend (Second weekend May) every year is observed as International Migratory Bird Day. On this occasion a thought came in to my mind. Just sharing it here -

Imagine – A Mom and her young ones are in your home, spending a quality time with each other. At the same time someone shout their manes / calls them from outside. Mom rushes to check, there’s no one…. it happens again, again and again… won’t they feel scary?? After some time they come to know that there is a person who’s just checking if these people are in that area or not? Or just to observe them, how do they look? What will you do if it happens in your case? Would you still feel it is ethical? ..... If not, then why you feel that it’s ‘OK’ in case of birds or any other animal in that case?

*All pics are downloaded from internet