Rohini
Kejriwal spoke to the ornithologist about the state
of conservation in India, challenges posed by urbanisation, and the lessons he
has learnt from the flying beauties
“Birds are the eyes of Heaven,” – Suzy
Kasse
Hyderabad-based Aasheesh Pittie
ornithologist, bibliophile, and bibliographer, most certainly agrees with
Kasse’s words. With a strong interest in the history of South Asian
ornithology, Pittie has compiled a database of over 31,000 ornithological
publications for the South Asian region. A writer on the subject, he has
published several articles and papers on Indian birds and edits the bi-monthly
journal Indian BIRDS. He recently completed his monumental work on the historic
Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal, thus adding to his work on the
archival Stray Feathers, the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society and
Ibis, and the more recent Newsletter for Birdwatchers, Indian BIRDS, now in its
13th year of publication, and Forktail. We spoke to Pittie about his
fascination with birds, the state of conservation in India, challenges posed by
urbanisation, and the lessons he has learnt from the flying beauties. Read the
excerpt below.
Can
you recall the moment that you decided to be an ornithologist?
Long ago, when I was gifted a copy of Salim
Ali’s Book of Indian birds, I took it and a clunky pair of binoculars to a
house that overlooked some rocks and sat down to wait for birds. The monsoon
was setting in and it threatened to rain. A Red-wattled Lapwing came onto a
rock and shaking with excitement, I raised the binoculars and noted its
details. Then came a green bee-eater upon an overhead wire with its long
central tail feathers. It began to drizzle but I could not get up. The book
helped me identify and name the two species, but their absolutely amazing
physical presence was overwhelming. Something shifted within me that day. I
have never regretted becoming a birder.
Take
us through your journey as a birder.
Over the years I have developed a special fondness
for birds, but I am enthralled by all of natural life. Practicality is a major
reason for choosing birds. They are everywhere and in abundance, unlike most
other life forms. Then they are easily visible and audible. I suppose the charm
and character that birds exude are among their abiding qualities that I find so
endearing. To me, birds are primarily an abundant, vibrant, non-human life form
that I can get close to, and celebrate our co-existence because of my sentient
conscience. I understand that it’s a one-way ‘relationship’, if I may call it
that, as there is no communication between birds and man. Yet I revel in their
ability of flight, their beauty, charm, song, dance, character, power,
delicacy, tolerance, stamina, etc. characteristics I aspire to, as does every
human being. Birds do not know these terms; they are our way of understanding
them, limited by our lexicon. I paint on them emotions in trying to understand
my own.
Due to the nature
of my work, I have not been able to travel much for birding. So I began to try
and make it easier for birders, both amateur and professional, to search the
vast literature of the field easily, and find out what has been published, say,
about the Indian Roller in Maharashtra. Towards this, I have spent hundreds of man-hours
in libraries, indexing 300 years of ornithological literature so that with the
help of keywords, people can ferret out papers that might contain information
they are searching. I have also been fortunate to edit various newsletters, and
journals along this journey into ornithology.
What
is the current state of birding and conservation in India?
Birding, as a pastime, is booming, fuelled
by the new-found fad for bird-photography. Birding as a tool for conservation
is picking up speed through various citizen-science projects and individual or
collective (organised/organisation-based) activism. There is a pretty large
community of birders in India. The exciting part is that it is growing rapidly
every day. Most major cities have groups that go out birding at least on
weekends. Social media has played a pivotal role in the huge popularisation of
birding. There are Facebook groups that boast of over one-lakh members – Indian
Birds. The versatility of the smartphone in perpetuating this phenomenon is
used in so many different ways. Photos of birds, birding groups, habitats,
etc., are uploaded easily; opinions upon correct identification of species are
exchanged and applied; birding trips are organised, and threats to habitats
such as wetlands or urban trees, highlighted. Someone invariably takes up the
cause to educate the government, muster local or countywide support, and try
and save such areas. The social media also informs people abouting poaching,
the unethical behaviour of over enthusiastic photographers and birders, and
acts as an SOS sounding-board where people ask about methods of handling lost
fledgelings, storm-blown sea birds, or injured birds.
The power of
citizen-science in collecting raw data is immense though it is in its nascent
stage across most of India. An early effort to use amateur birders to collect
data was the Asian Waterbird Census, which started in 1987 and still occurs in
Dec-Jan every year. Subsequently, several participatory programmes have sprung
up for the citizen-scientists so much so there is now a calendar of events. The
recent upsurge in documenting, and analysing birding data is due to the
fantastic online database portal called eBird, where birders can upload their
field lists, notes, and photographs to be checked by experts and accepted.
Various types of analyses are possible from the data.
So, on the amateur
birder level, the birding scene in India is pretty rosy. Professional
ornithology still has a long way to go, not so much for the lack of personnel
as institutional support. Conservation in India is largely controlled by the
State. Citizens have no control over the State’s whimsical fragmentation of
wilderness areas. Many times, rudimentary or even erroneous environmental
impact assessments are prepared by incompetent agencies and based on them,
developmental projects are fast tracked for implementation. This is a
high-handed, myopic, and discouraging trend that undermines the vital role of
wilderness areas in the way our planet functions.
The increased
awareness about the environment has resulted in a greater vigilance amongst the
birders and wildlifers. Every detrimental project of the State is quickly
flagged and we see a lot of participation in various types of protests. So
birders are gradually getting to the tipping point where their collective voice
would be heard by the administrations.
But
beyond the hobby or activism, is there a lot of on-going research in
ornithology?
Most ornithological research in India is
species-specific, which is fine as it builds our knowledge base about birds.
But it cannot be forgotten that we stand on the shoulders of giants and that
there is a vast and extant literature. What is required is a deeper research
that sees the role of species in the larger perspective of their environment so
that a more holistic view of land and the wilderness is formed. Currently,
there is a concentration of studying threatened species. I only wish that
today’s common species are also studied. With the rate of habitat destruction
and other pressures, many may end up threatened in a decade or two.
But there are
several ornithologists in the country today doing great work. The work of V. V.
Robin and his team comes to mind. Their deep study of the ‘Sky Islands’ of the
Western Ghats is breaking new ground in the fields of landscape ecology, on
species, biodiversity, and the effects of habitat fragmentation. Another worthy
effort in north-eastern India is by Aparajita Datta’s team which works with
local communities on the conservation of hornbills.
Team
of birders are also venturing into coastal waters of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and
Kerala in search of pelagic birds.
Can
you take us through the issues faced by birds, especially in Southern India?
I have a feeling, though I may be wrong,
that the birds of the five southern Indian states are better studied than those
of the rest of the country. Through the phenomenon of eBird, the distribution
data pouring in is amazing, and at least Kerala has taken up the task of
compiling a bird atlas. Birders from the city of Mysore have created an atlas
of bird distribution for two consecutive years. This contagion will only
spread.
Habitat
fragmentation, land, air, and water pollution, and man-made situations like
wind farms are some of the problems birds face. Some of these will return to
haunt us, if not affecting us already, for birds are a mere strand in the web
of ecology that binds all life on earth. Ultimately, these problems will affect
the way we live for they will result in water shortages, toxic poisoning, catastrophic
climate change phenomena, etc.
So
in what direction do we look for solutions?
A sure-fire way to ensure a more secure
future for our environment, the birds and other wildlife, and ourselves as a
consequence is universal education. It empowers people with knowledge and the
ability to take right decisions.
There is a
movement towards organic agriculture, and if its footprint were to increase,
the land near critical wild habitat would become safer to their denizens.
Government should stop clearing wilderness areas and furthering mono-culture in
the name of reafforestation. What they deem non-productive land has remained so
over millennia and plays a role in stabilising local landscapes (geography and
hydrology).
We also need to
preserve pristine water bodies. Commercialising all of them ultimately pollutes
them and reduces their biodiversity.
Further, urban
spaces should be de-congested into smaller satellite towns, ultimately reducing
the need for mega-hydro projects for irrigation, power, and potable water –
making way for smaller, less disruptive projects.
Stemming
from this, you seem to feel quite strongly about birds and urban spaces.
Bird life in urban India is pretty diverse.
In the pockets of congenial habitats that survive in the concrete jungles that
our cities have become, wildlife clings on tenaciously, adapting to the rapidly
changing habitats. Their presence or absence and abundance or rarity of species
in urban areas is a reflection of their adaptability to changing environments
and microhabitats. The reason one commensal of man (the house sparrow)
struggles to cope while another (the feral pigeon) thrives is a direct
reflection of this adaptability.
Feral pigeon
populations have exploded in urban areas because conditions are conducive for
them. They have virtually no predators, ample nesting spaces, and an abundance
of food. They have adapted to using high-rise buildings for nesting and as
perches. Their predators in the wilderness, generally falcons, are uncommon in
urban Indian skies; feral, or pet cats might comprise their sole nemesis. But
their propensity to breed year-round and the senseless largess of people who
feed them ensure their successful colonisation of our urban spaces. We tolerate
the mess they create, assume divine blessing in the feeding of them, and
couldn’t care less that they spread disease. If municipalities made feeding
pigeons a punishable offence, as many Western towns’ municipalities have, the
menace of these flying rats will be curtailed.
World over, more
people live in urban spaces than they do in the countryside. Urban spaces, if
planned diligently, can become havens for wildlife. Diversity will be limited,
as ecological riches are restricted, but there will be surprises due to the
great variety of habitats. There is a concept gaining traction in the West,
wherein a city is considered a fragmented protected area. Planners connect
urban parks to each other via corridors of avenue trees and embrace private
gardens into this grid. If such a concept were to be adopted, and
municipalities envision habitats created of local or endemic rather than exotic
flora, we could see an urban environment emerging that would benefit the people
living in it. A life devoid of natural surroundings, which break the anarchy of
man-made lines, withers our souls. And if we are restricted to artificial
sound, our capacity to enjoy natural bird song and the subconscious euphoria it
creates will diminish and impoverish us.
We’re
sure you’ve had some fascinating adventures, be it on your solo birding trips
or bird counts. Please share some stories.
I am not a particularly adventurous type,
and so cannot boast of spectacular escapades in the wilderness. But in the
restricted birding I have done, I have found moments of great beauty and grace
that are sufficient to soothe a soul. On an outing with my birding group one
winter morning, we were watching some ducks on a small wetland, when an Osprey
appeared out of nowhere and dove for fish in front of an astonished birding
audience, disappearing below the water and then, in a trice, emerging and
lifting off with a large squirming fish in its talons. Mid-flight, it shook its
body to rid its feathers of water in an halo of spray and flew away with the
morning’s catch. It was a spectacular moment.
Another time,
another place, again a water body. A few of us sat on a bund, watching ducks
flying in to land on the water. As some came in, a few turned turtle in flight
and then uprighted before landing. What an unbelievable sight that was! No one
knows why they do it. It was so quiet, we could hear the wind in their wings –
a sound of tearing fabric – as they descended at high speed.
In birding, the
question to ask when looking at the bird is whether one is seeing it. To truly
do so, one has to be sensitive, discerning, patient, quiet, and still. Birds
will allow you into their world and the joys of watching birds are great,
wherever you are. I have gasped at the clever House Crow that dropped crisped
papad into waters so it did not splinter when eaten; at the song and dance of a
male lora trying to impress a visiting female; at the crazy monotone of the
Coppersmith Barbet; at the frenzy of male Baya Weavers when a female visits to
inspect the housing facilities before accepting her mate; at the ability of young
Pheasant-tailed Jacanas to sink into water when an adult cries ‘ware hawk’—in
alarm; in the comical but perfect ruse of plovers to lure away predators from
their young by the broken-wing (injured bird) display; by the awesome spectacle
of tens of thousand of flamingos staining a wetland like an algal bloom; by the
flocking of wagtails and pipits as they came to roost in a clump of reeds. All
these encounters were close to urban agglomerations. People often ask ‘Where do
you go to watch birds? Surely none but a few exist in cities?” But they are
ignorant. Cities have a thriving birdlife though it may be limited. And I am
not among those who wander the world with a shopping list of birds to be seen.
Once ticked, they’re done with it, and move on to the next one. I am happy in
my patch and with the birds found on it.
From
your understanding, does birding provide a legit means of income?
There are several avenues for creating a
livelihood for persons who do not have an academic degree in ornithology but
are avid birders. What should be kept in mind by such people is that their
interest in birds should be expanded to include the bird’s environment to get a
more holistic picture of what is involved.
A person with a
degree in ornithology could pursue an academic career in teaching, curating
museum collections, join the government through the forest service, or other
positions that require qualified people. Even large corporates with extensive
campuses may need environmental experts. They may join environmental assessment
agencies or international or national conservation organisations that run
projects across the world. They could join or form their own tour companies to
plan, execute, and lead niche itineraries for the adventure-hungry tourist.
Amateurs would perhaps
have to work harder. But they could also professionalise their passion in
writing books, in taking up photography, or even leading specialised tours on
their own. The idea is to capitalise on your speciality and tap the niche
market that searches for such a specialist. It all depends on how enterprising
one is.
Being
the bibliophile that you are, would you say there are high quality books on
birds being published in India?
Indian publishers are hitching their wagons
to the birding books phenomenon but invariably piggy backing on international
publishers who have already put out books in the world market. The Bombay
Natural History Society is perhaps the only organisation that in collaboration
with Oxford University Press produces high quality natural history work. Other
Indian publishers like Permanent Black, Orient Blackswan, and Aleph have begun
their own imprints that cater to works on wildlife. But it is a mark of the
state of affairs when the two most popular birding field guides have non-Indian
authors. Except for Salim Ali’s large body of bird books and his incomparable
beginner’s guide Book of Indian Birds, very few original standalone volumes
have been published from a country with our 1200 species of birds, which have
made a resounding splash. Notable exceptions in recent years have been Rishad
Naoroji’s Birds of prey of the Indian Subcontinent, and Birds of Kerala by
Sashikumar Praveen, Palot & Nameer.
Nature writing as
a genre has not caught on in India though there are several anthologies in the
market containing articles from various sources. But there is the glimmer of a
silver lining showing since a couple of years, even though the works I allude
to deal with larger environmental issues.
What
was your process of getting into your first book Birds In Books, a bibliography
of books on South Asian Ornithology?
The book covers a small portion of the vast
library of published literature from this part of the world since 1750 – the
time of scientific ornithology, comprising over 30,000 papers. I realised early
on that there was no easy way to search through historical publications for
pertinent literature on any one species or place. So I compiled a database that
enables users do this at www.southasiaornith.in.
Keeping it up to date is a full time job.
What
would be your general advice to anyone interested in pursuing birding?
All pursuits have their own unique codes of
ethical conduct. So does birding, e.g, the bird and its safety always comes
first No matter how important it is to see it or photograph it, if in doing so,
its very survival is threatened, one must back off. Birders must realise they
are dealing with life forms that cannot comprehend them and vice versa; so
taking situations for granted as if it were a human situation may not work with
birds.
Over time, as
one’s interest in birds grows, it is natural that one reads deeply about them
and the environment they live in; one will finally realise it is a common
environment we share. Through birds, we learn about our habitat and our role in
shaping (or destroying) it. I would advise people to enjoy birds. Follow rules
and the birders code of ethics. To advance ornithology, become a
citizen-scientist and post your lists on eBird. Stay alert about environmental
issues and participate in protecting wilderness areas. Read widely and spread
the art and joy of birding.
Last
one. Which is your dream bird you’ve been in the pursuit of?
I would love to answer “ the one I see
next” for that is how much I like watching them. But over time, some birds
become embedded in one’s imagination for various reasons. The endemic Bugun
Liocichla of Arunachal Pradesh is one such. It is an entirely new species that
was discovered as recently as 2006 by Raman Athreya and described to the world
though Indian BIRDS, a journal I edit. I would also like to witness the
spectacle of Amur Falcons flocking before their migration to Africa.
But frankly, I am
happy visiting the same places again and again, and watching the same species
repeatedly for if one gazes long enough, it is never the same place nor
species. Just like one does not step into the same river twice, you always
return to a different situation of habitat and life cycle of birds in your
patch.
