Various birds fly through the skies of the Indian subcontinent. One of them being the Rosy Starling with pink and black plumage which passes through Delhi in April. These birds form beautiful patterns as they fly in huge flocks. These are migratory visitors who travel all the way from East Europe and Central Asia. Similarly, many different beautiful birds arrive during the winter to escape the chilly winters of their region like Siberian species. These species find ample of comfort in our temperate weather regions to be able to breed.
Rosy Starling Flock of Rosy Starlings
Sundarban National Park, West Bengal is one of the hotbeds for spotting migratory birds. Over 248 species of birds can be found in this natural environment.
Sadly, global warming, pollution, and changing climatic patterns have an adverse effect on the migratory and native species. Traveling birds rely on constellations to guide them during night and sun during day time. But various stars have been hiding behind the face of air pollution in recent years. Due to climate change, various birds may sometimes cancel their journey altogether. This can have a vast effect on ecosystems of multiple regions. Sometimes even the native species are adversely affected due to human activities. But we all can do our part by feeding these feathered friends and making them stay a bit more comfortable.
Following tips can be followed at an individual level:
Leave a water feeder in a shaded region in summers which will allow the birds to visit more frequently. Make sure that it is always clean.
• If you see any mould growing in the feeder, rinse it thoroughly with a scrub and dish detergent, or soak it in detergent for a few days, and gently scrub away the residue to use the feeder again.
• Fill another feeder farther from the bird feeder to draw away any rodents or animals who can harm these birds.
• Spread the food feeder with a variety of seeds to attract diversity of birds. Most common seeds that can be used are millets(bajra), sunflower seeds, uncooked rice, peanuts. Even fruits like banana slices and apple chunks can be used to attract fruit specialists.
• During humid climate, frequently change the feeders to avoid growth of deadly moulds.
• Avoid various foods like peanut butter and nectar since they spoil quickly.
• A birdbath is good equipment for the backyard. This will attract the many other birds who don’t frequently visit feeders.
• Position feeder on higher ground if possible to protect them from possible predators. Or the ground can also be fenced with wires.
• During winters, bigger feeders can be used since they need not be refilled often.