While in Thekkady earlier this year, I had spotted a stubby bird I had never seen before. I was taking an evening stroll behind the cottage. And there she was, like a doodle crayoned by a prodigiously-gifted child, about 100 meters away from me.
She looked incredibly familiar. But I just couldn’t put my finger on it. I took a few photographs of her, as the sun went down, and returned to the cottage. I pulled out my copy of “Birds of the Indian Subcontinent” by Richard Grimmett, Carol Inskipp and Tim Inskipp to find out her name.
This book is more than just a field guide. We share a “honey, I’m home” kind of relationship. I have spent many endless nights with the book on my couch. While traveling I go through it only after I am done with my quota of birding for the day.
It turned out that I have been so enamored with the contents of the book that I have never bothered to notice the bird on its front cover page – The Indian Pitta.
The Indian Pitta is a passerine bird found all over the Indian subcontinent, forming a superspecies with three other birds – the Fairy Pitta, the Mangrove Pitta and the Blue-Winged Pitta.
She looks like a crayon box with stubby legs and a short bill. The upper region of her body is bathed in parrot-green, and the lower parts – doused in the hues of orange. Her tail feathers are smudged in bright red and blue. And her black coronal stripes give her an air of mischievousness, like a cat-burglar in search of insects.
I haven’t spotted the Indian Pitta since. But I am pretty sure that I will remember her name the next time I see her.
I’ve touched autumn
only inside yellowing pages
of hardbound books,
and on the cheeks
of a girl as we bookmarked
each other’s morning breaths
by a babbling brook.
thanks comrade. glad you felt it!
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this. love this. this this this.
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Awww thank a lot, man. You say such nice things! (fist bump)
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Well, I’ll admit, I’m really fond of your writing. It’s consistently good. Love the symbolism. Birds don’t hurt, either. 😀
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cloud nine-d!
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Amazing shots & nice words.
I am inspired to try Verse herder style. Will try & dedicate that poem to your unique style. 🙂 Good wishes.
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if frogs somehow evolved into birds; this would be it.
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For any birder, Inskipp is the bible…. Love your posts 🙂
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Not quite sure what I enjoyed most: your wonderful poem or the commentary that followed ~
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Aww merci beaucoup
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Good One. Pitta’s are passage migrants.
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Thanks Subhojit!
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Welcome
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You can ever record their calls and songs early morning . Which is why they are also called 6 o Clock bird in Tamil.
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I don’t think they are passage migrants in South India especially in Kerala where you saw the bird . But in some parts of India like in Nagpur , Kolkata and in Mumbai they enjoy the status of Passage Migrant. So when I got my first shot of a Pitta in my city I was ecstatic.
Happy Birding !!!!!
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Thanks again for these lovely tidbits comrade. Six O clock bird sounds so cute! Happy birding to you too.
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Welcome .
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Ah, Inskipp. Probably one of my best friends, rain or shine. Even if my copy has succeeded in beginning to fall apart despite a very limited pedigree. (Also, supremely jealous because FREAKING INDIAN PITTA.)
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What a beautiful bird! I can see why you like her.
The poem is great, too. 🙂
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Ooh, she’s pretty. I haven’t had the luxury of spotting any birds other than the pigeons, crows, and vultures(?) that frequent the sky – and of course, the occasional parrot or sparrow. Maybe, you just need to have an eye for that, huh? 🙂
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Vultures?! Woaw you are lucky comrade. I have never seen one.
And i am sure you ll find the birds the moment you start looking for them. Pretty soon they ll start looking for you (smile)
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You’ve never seen a vulture?? On googling, I hear they’re a pretty rare sight, but I’ve had someone tell me, “Those big (somewhat scary) birds we see in the sky? Yeah, they’re vultures.” So, I’m assuming I’ve seen vultures. 😀 Not that up close, but yeah.
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