You might want to take a closer look at the chirp and Twitter in your balcony after reading Ranjit Lal's Birds from my window and the antics they get up to finds The Guide
You might want to take a closer look at the chirp and Twitter in your balcony after reading Ranjit Lal's Birds from my window and the antics they get up to finds The Guide
Ranjit Lal has given the term 'bird watching' a different meaning for a while now. Followers of his works will recall his vivid imagery and imagination in avian-themed bestsellers, including The Crow Chronicles and When Banshee Kissed Bimboo and Other Bird Stories. Lal is now back with another delightful book that will make the bird lover applaud his engaging and amusing word play in describing some of the most commonly spotted birds that dot Indian skies. These endearing characters will fascinate the amateur, even more so for their 'human' quirks that Lal brings to light.
Ranjit Lal's favourite four: Paradise Flycatcher Pics/ Satish Badiger
& AFP
Indian Sparrow
Bird days are such fun
Lal's love affair with birds started with watching, listening to, and writing about birds from his window for years. He debunks the theory that living in crowded, dirty and noisy cities means that one cannot spot colourful, interesting birds with attitude andu00a0 character. Apart from the usual suspectsu00a0-- crows, sparrows, mynas, pigeons and kitesu00a0-- he introduces the reader to a delightful bunch of birds, who fill the urban sky.
From the wannabe bhais of the bird world, the koels, to jaunty grey partridges who scream 'Pateela! Pateela! Pateela! as they set out for their early morning walks, to the migratory black kites who roost every evening and the grey hornbills, who offer neem berries to their girlfriends, Lal's descriptions are likely to leave you in splits.
His observations and imagined bird dialogues offer valuable insight into their moods and mannerisms. Clearly, the average urban Indian bird just got its best PR exercise in order.u00a0u00a0Here's what Lal has to say about his feathered friends:
What challenges did you face while writing Birds from My Window, particularly as far as giving each species an almost human-like character and attitude is concerned?
I didn't face too many challenges, since I had a rogues' gallery of notes to refer to. Very often, birds behave a lot like people; so giving them 'human' characteristics is almost automatic. They always remind me of different people.
Magpie Robin
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When did you first realise that birds fascinated you? What innate qualities and curiosities intrigued you?
I knew when I got my first close-up look at a Coppersmith through binoculars. It straightaway reminded me of a clown. I thought that if the very first bird I'd seen properly looked like a clown ufffd and there are around 1,300 different species in Indiau00a0-- what might the others looks like? I'm still finding that out!
As for innate qualities and behaviouru00a0-- well, the more you observe and the more you read up, the more fascinating they get. Like, for instance, the Mad Mozart entry: I first observed what had been happening and thenu00a0-- quite by accidentu00a0-- came across the rationale behind it.
Barn Owl
Which are your favourite stories from this compilation?
Ummm, that's difficult... The Sparrow story was quite incredible, but actually happened as I had made detailed notes, as was the Magpie Robin story. The Barn Owl piece is another favourite and, of course, the Paradise Flycatchers..
How different is the average Indian birdwatcher from his/her counterpart in the west?
I think earlier on, say 15 or 20 years ago, the average Indian birdwatcher was considered to be completely loony... The west had got used to them. I wouldn't really know the difference now: Birders the world over can be equally laid-back, fanatical and competitive. It probably depends on personality. But yes, maybe those in the west use gadgets like the GPS more, and there are certainly more of them covering the ground, than in India.
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