Bird Listening
Written as short piece on bird identification by ear for the Class Magazine of English Methodology, as a part of our B.Ed. curriculum. Shared here in written form, with minor edits for clarity.
At night, right before sleeping, just stand, close your eyes, and listen. What do you hear?
Not the trills of a Myna. Neither the chirps of chicks. But the sound of wind rustling through trees, and...
...an underwater bubbling sound?
Congratulations, you are now hearing the Asian Barred Owlet announcing its presence in the night. This one bird has multiple calls: the classic rising 'ooo', a sharper version used for hunting, and yes, the bubbling sound. It is common to hear another Owlet respond to the call in a higher pitch, which means you're listening to a mated pair, claiming this place as part of its territory.
The night isn't the only time one can hear birds. They're around in the daytime as well, with the added benefit of visibility if you have the time and patience. The Namrup College of Teacher Education has been claimed as a part of a Crimson Sunbird's territory, and the pair can be often seen or heard near the flowers outside the gate at around 7-10 am.
Similarly, my house at Kawaimari has been claimed by a Purple Sunbird. Tiny, energetic, as if it's hyped on several shots of caffeine. At 5 am it comes by, whistling louder than it's little body should allow.
Practically an alarm clock without electronics.
These aren't the only birds that evade our notice in our rush of daily lives. The Black-Hooded Oriole is one other example, that we hear the calls of often.
This striking looking bird has the exact same colours as a Banded Krait: Yellow and black. The stark contrast of aposematism (venomous/toxic animals using bright colours as warning signs) that can be easily spotted from afar.
Yet somehow, this bird is so hard to find that you can spend an hour looking for it and come empty-handed, despite hearing their liquid flute whistle from just a few metres away.
Several other birds exist in this same category, audible but invisible, that we ignore as 'background noise'. But once you start noticing, it stops being noise and starts being a tale of the world that continues spinning...
Even as you stand still, in the silence of your room.
Photo credit: Francis Yap