Bird songs from the backyard

Welcome birds into your living space by maintaining a small home garden with few flowering plants and fruit-bearing trees.

Greater Coucal.

The red-vented bulbuls are my alarm these days. Until I hear them squeak, I am convinced the Sun hasn’t risen yet. It has become a ritual for the little birds to hold their morning conference at the Papaya tree in our backyard, between bites of the fruit. And for me, to revel in the pleasures of seeing them engage in animated bird banter. Since last few days, the chitchat has grown louder. Following the bulbuls, a flock of the yellow-billed babblers and common Mynas have become regular visitors to the tree. But I am yet to sight the elusive Asian Koel that sings occasionally but disappears the moment I tip-toe to the backyard. It’s amazing how a single fruiting tree or plant can create so much bird life around it.

Bird lovers in the city say that a small patch of garden in the compound is all it takes to attract birds to homes. Planting flower-bearing shrubs will bring the small cute nectar-feeding birds like the purple, purple-rumped and Loten’s sunbirds. “Birds usually love red-coloured flowers. The more common Hibiscus and the rare Indian Cork Tree (maram malli), Panneer maram and mul-murungai are some of the plants that produce bright red flowers,” says Senior birder Dr. T. Badri Narayanan, who maintains a huge garden at his residence. The birds that visit Badri’s garden range from the common crow and mynas to the Paradise Flycatcher and Rufus Treepie.

“My idea of garden is not the extremely neat space laden with ornamental plants. Instead of growing exotic imported plants, we should promote the native species. The native grass can be used for lawns in place of the Korean grass so that we get insects and bees which in turn would attract birds. A part of the garden should be left wild so that we create a naturally healthy habitat for birds,” says Badri.

Badri’s garden has some of the rarest native plants and trees that are hardly found elsewhere in the city these days. The Ophthalmologist-turned-ornithologist has taken pains to collect certain species of trees mentioned in Silapathikaram. Chinna Kumizh, Vellai Ilavu, Alinjal, Adathoda, Purasu (Flame of the Forest) and Panneer Pushpam are some of them. He says that the commonly found trees like the good-old murungai maram, karuvepilai and Kilakai can support bird life in a big way. “Not many of us realise that the flowers of Karuvepillai if left to become fruits are real good bird food,” he informs. Even the fruits of the modest manathakkali keerai will bring many birds to your home, he adds. “One of the best trees that can act as anchors for birds is the Sivappu Ilavu (Red silk cotton), as a variety of birds feed on its flowers and fruits.”

N. Nagendran, a college professor, whose five-cent garden at Gomathipuram is home to over 30 species of birds, says that a single fig tree can attract lots of birds. “The Neem tree at our gate is thronged by birds like Golden Oriole, Tree pie, spotted dove and Greater Coucal. Even inside congested pockets, it is easy to find birds like myna, crow, babblers, bulbuls and drongos. Once you create an undisturbed space for them, they may visit you regularly,” he says. Everyday, Nagendran meticulously leaves a bowl of water and some plain rice at the window sill for the birds. Over the years, the winged visitors have also taken comfort inside the attic of his living room and he is only too happy to see them nest there. Birders suggest providing birds a bowl of millets as feed instead of cooked food. “Birds usually prefer fruits with a soft coat like papaya. A mango tree can however bring rose-ringed parakeets. Only we should be magnanimous to let few fruits remain in the tree for the sake of the birds” says Nagendran.

Kumaresan, a college student says that his humble home garden at Palanganatham is visited by munias, sunbirds, tailor birds, silver bills and koels. “It’s amazing to see these small playful creatures flutter across our garden. It has become a hobby for me to sit in the verandah and simply observe them,” he says. Balaji, a resident of Narayanapuram has created a simple water-dispensing mechanism using old plastic bottles and pipes for birds. “I have positioned it at two places inside my compound. The water comes out in drops and it’s easier for birds to drink it,” he says. Such little efforts can go a long way in attracting birds to your backyard. Do your bit and enjoy an avian orchestra at home!