I was thinking for a while, like humans, even animals, trees, birds have their own identity and personality. So, what should I call the personality of a bird who visits my home. May be because it is a bird personality, I think I can call it as Birdality.
If we observe people, we come across various types. Some people appear pleasant with ever smiling face while some appear sad, irritated, aggressive, gloomy, sporty, naughty. It reminds me of the seven dwarfs who received their names as per their personality and appearance. Some people, we come across are so warm that we immediately feel connected to them. It feels as if we know them from ages. One of my friends always keeps on passing comments by looking at people, “This grandma looks so approachable and cute,” or “I feel like smacking that fellow, look at his face so irritating.” I used to wonder why does she feel like it about unknown people but then I read somewhere that each one of us has an aura encircling us. We constantly send and receive vibes through it. Hence, some people appear very friendly and approachable and everyone finds them approachable while, a few appear so grumpy that even if we have never met them, we feel irritated looking at them.
Off late I started observing the birds who grace my balcony as guests for breakfast, lunch and evening snacks. Basically, there are four regular visitors, pigeons, parrots, sparrows and Common Myna. Each one seems to have a particular type of trait and birdality.
Common Myna, though the name contains ‘common’ in it, she expects a very uncommon and special treatment. She has a reserved place of her own in a different window, away from all other common visitors. It is in a separate room as she does not believe in mingling with other birds but maintains social distancing. She comes to a window in a room near my kitchen. On arrival she informs me in a very gentle and soft voice. It is so gentle that at times I am unable to hear it if my kitchen chimney is on. This is followed by further two or three reminders maintaining them as gentle as the first one. But if I fail to notice her, that soft and sweet chirp suddenly gets replaced by a harsh warning in an equally harsh ear piercing tone, which is impossible to ignore. Now, I must leave whatever I am doing and rush to the window with the piece of chapati. (I do keep one extra chapati for her.)
She has a very high self-esteem and self-respect. I say this because she comes only during heavy rainfall, completely drenched and shivering with cold. On all other days she manages to procure her ration on her own. She does not believe in accepting alms otherwise. But when she arrives, I better be ready. I need to slowly slide the window open which is closed due to rain, then the piece of chapati needs to be placed in the gap of the window grill in such a way that she has an easy access to it without having to lean forward much or leave her throne. If it gets placed away from her, she does not accept it. The food must be offered with love and ensuring not to hurt her pride. I call her Amitabh Bachchan, remember his famous dialogue- “Pheke huye paise, mein aaj bhi nahi uthhata.” She is my ‘Royal Guest!”
When it comes to rest all visitors like parrots, pigeons and sparrows, they believe in community lunch. All of them sitting together and trying to eat from the single feeder at the same time. Early in the morning the first batch to arrive is that of the parrots. Six to seven of them arrive for early morning breakfast. One lands on the feeder, two are seated on the shade of the window peeping down looking at the feeder and two or three find the place on the grill. This breakfast is usually with deep conversations and major discussions across the feeder. I guess they go through the daily news before coming for breakfast. The conversation sometimes is very pleasant and casual, very gentle but at times it is like those debates on T.V. News channels where everyone is screaming their lungs out and nobody understands anything.
One of them is very happy-go-lucky type. He waits for a minute, peeps from the top of the window shade and if he finds the place is too crowded, he leaves chirping happily, only to come back later. Out of the two on the feeder, one is very bossy and the other is submissive. He is always on his toes, ready to fly away anytime his boss gets upset with him. One more fellow who believes in living on his own terms and conditions, lands on the grill but maintaining a distance from the others and the feeder. Gradually he starts marching towards the feeder, holding the grill with his beak then stretching his one leg towards next pane to hold it, now moving the other one to move further; sometimes even head over heels. He never sits on that feeder in an uncomfortable position, unnecessarily wasting his efforts trying to balance himself on the dangling feeder while eating. Nope! That’s not his way. He will find a place on the grill that is conveniently closer to the feeder. Now he will lean forward balancing himself with his two legs firmly placed on the grill and pulling the plate of the feeder with his beak. As the plate is pulled closer in his radius comfortably, he places his one claw on that plate to hold it and starts his breakfast which is readily served in the feeder plate. He does not believe in sitting on the tiny handles provided on the feeder which requires bending and getting his neck twisted for fetching his food which is inside the feeder jar. He only eats what is easily available in the plate, courtesy- other parrots, who have helped him save his efforts. He will feast on only that much quantity. Since he keeps on holding the plate with his claw from one side, the other fellow who is sitting on the opposite side of the feeder plate must learn to balance himself while this fellow keeps pulling the plate closer to him to hold it properly.
One in their clan has a strong built compared to others and he is an anti-social element. I can say this because one day while refilling the feeder I noticed that the string holding the feeder was almost on the verge of getting cut. When I observed carefully, I noticed that it appeared as if someone was trying to sabotage it. I decide to do the follow up on this and noticed that this fellow sitting on the top of the feeder keeps on biting it with its beak. He is least interested in eating but only wants to ensure that no one else gets to eat. He will keep on trying to break the string that is holding the feeder or try to remove the jar lid at the top or break the cover of the feeder holes on the side of the jar. He just enjoys showing off his strength, while others prefer to be silent spectators, just like the people in our country. When he is gone, others happily continue to enjoy the treat which is a community lunch with gupshup.
One of them in Salman Khan type, a staunch believer in fitness. He never rests on the plate or the grill. He will keep on hanging on the plate, holding it with both his claws and doing the pull ups while eating. He keeps on burning the calories while consuming them and ensures to maintain his physique.
One of them appears like a monk to me, who believes in complete nonviolence. While others are protesting with screeching slogans in their language against the foodie fellow who never stops eating, who is least bothered about others, this monk will patiently wait for his turn.
Watching these parrots eat reminds me of kids having school break. More than eating their food they are interested in meeting their friends and running across the corridors. Same way, some of these parrots will keep on flying here and there screeching loudly for no reason, a few will be focused on eating while others are just flying from trees to grill and back again with no intentions of eating but just having gala time. One fellow comes and sits quietly next to someone who is engrossed in eating. For some time, he will quietly observe how this fellow eats with complete dedication and then suddenly he flies away screeching loudly as if someone has poked him. I guess he is the attention seeker.
As far as sparrows are concerned, they are visiting faculties, they come and go according to their convenience. They have their small share and move on, but the brave species, I must say. They are not scared of parrots or pigeons either. They sit close to the feeder awaiting to find a small gap and like a true opportunist they land on the plate whenever they find the place, take their share and fly away chirping happily.
Pigeons are only focussed on grabbing and eating their share, least interested in awaiting their turn. They remind me of a scene from the movie ‘Satte Pe Satta,’ where all the brothers attack the lunch table only to destroy it, which is so aesthetically arranged by Hema Malini. Same way the pegions will land on the plate of the feeder with all their weight spilling half of the grain. They go on eating without bothering much about others. Sparrow is the only brave bird which dares to sit next to it and eat, while parrots despite being bigger in size compared to this small bird, fly away screeching when it lands on the feeder. To me sparrows appear to have acquired more inner strength compared to parrots.
These birds display personality traits almost like humans if we observe them carefully. This whole exercise of watching them has busted my myth about parrots whistling sweetly. I ended up getting exhausted whistling so that at least once they will reciprocate but never, either they keep on searching for me or completely ignore me as if I do not exist. Apart from screeching I have not seen them producing any other sound by default till date.
But whatever said and done they fill my mind with happiness and joy and it is fun to see them doing acrobats. Each one comes with an individual birdality which is different from others. I am more than happy to welcome them as my guests- Athithi Devo Bhav! (Guest is like a God).