Birds are unparalleled in their number, diversity and colour. We
are fortunate to have them living near us on trees, in bushes, woods, forests
and on banks of water bodies, marshy lands and so on. They are natural habitats
for them. Our great many or small rivers, canals, lakes, haors, bills, ponds,
pools, The Bay of Bengal, etc. are components of varied gifts of nature. Birds
with their motley of colours and medley shapes, sounds, cries and melodious
notes enrich the charms nature.
According to Forest Dept. there are 379 resident and 199
migratory species of birds. Birds vary in size and shape and colour. Their
life-style and habit are varied too. The most striking feature of our common birds
is the varity of colour white pigeons, dark bluish Jalali White and almond
coloured, Small and tolerably large cranes, brownish herons and light red
shalik. Small and big kingfisher is a brightly coloured bird feeding on fish
like cranes or herons. Pigeons are also emblems of auspiciousness and good
will. They carried news, letters or letters of love even during the Moghal
period. Pegeons make "Bak Bakum" sound, ashen dove coo. Both of them
are, perhaps, the most inoffensive and gentle. Dove is a symbol of peace and
word of endearment. Turtledove, another kind, is noted for its affection for
its mate and young. The green, blue and violet coloured feather of the tail of
a peacock is very beautiful to look at, when spread. Peacock is a national bird
of India
Some birds have specialties. Brightly black kokil, shyma,
bulluli, papya and doel are song-birds; parrot, maina, baukathakao and chandana
are talking birds and there is the yellow threaded laughing thrush. Green
parrot taught to speak like a human being invites guests, too, to come in and
be seated. and doel, our national bird, is dark-ash coloured and variegated
with white shades on its body and wings. At daybreak we rise by chirps of birds
especially of sparrows and caws of crows. The two are seen all day long in
season and out of season. We are annoyed at the harsh caws but pleased to hear
kokil's, the harbinger of spring. But the latter lays egg at the former's nest.
The caws of a raven, not often heard, are ominous, so also are the cries of
night birds, pechas. The second of the bird's "hooting and shrieking"
is universally regarded as ominous. Shakespeare dose so in his tragedy Julias
Caesar. "The bird of night did sit/even at noon upon the market
place/hooting and shrieking. "In contrast, according to belief of Hindus,
lucky pecha, the sign of good fortune, was the carrier. Chatak, a small bird,
longs only for rainwater as it soars up high in the sky. A rarely seen Dudarz (
Paradise Fly Catcher) also called Shah Bulbul, distinguished by a motley of
colours its milk white body, shiny black neck, bluish beak and pupils of eyes,
reddish feet and unparalleled 21-24 feet long two milky feathers, is a bird of
matchless beauty. Bluemaine, hamdan & lovebird are other uncommon birds.
Most of the birds build their nests on the branches of trees,
woods and forests. Some birds like sparrows live in other's building or houses.
Aquatic birds-crane, heron, king fisher, jal pipi, pan kaur, dahuk, wave footed
sea gulls seen near water bodies, or wet lands' also dwell in bushes. on trees
of woods and forests adjacent to them. An exception is the kingfisher whose
refuge is a dark hole. Most of the birds live on insects, worms, grains of
rich, wheat, maize, etc., many like herons, kng fishers and so on eat fish.
Kites, eagles and hawks that fly high in the sky are carnivorus birds and birds
of prey and vultures large birds also flying high, eat flesh of dead animals.
We are in constant fear of birds of prey as any moment they can swoop down on
small chickens and birds. And the Falcon is the insignia of Bangladesh Air
Force illustrating the dignity and quality of the Force. Some other familiar
birds are tuntuni, weaver bird, titer, belay-hash, sonatoni, cockatoo, moral,
finge and golden fronted leaf bird. Some not commonly seen birds are pahari
pecha (owl), banaspati, paddu, basanta bauri, batang, rani ghughu, radhachoka,
kutum pakhi, and kamal choa. In the light of a reliable estimate, 41 of
resident birds are under different kinds of threats. The share of CHT in this
situation is about 30 or so including yellow threaded laughing thrush, peacock,
pheasant, streak spider, nil kantha, red-headed trogon, spotbellied eagle,
purple wood pigeon and black breasted parrot.
Guest birds are seen in lakes from Nov to January. They in large
groups migrate from Siberia , North Africa and Himalayan region.
Their sanctuaries are near The Sundarbans, the chalan bill of Gopalganj, haors
and lakes of greater Mymensingh and Sylhet. Some of the birds coming to Bangladesh Bangladesh Bangladesh
Most of the birds, are friendly and harmless and do us good.
They make Nature more charming and diverse by their numerous shapes and
colours, cries, songs, and uses. Hence there is a significant enhancing of our
enjoyment of Nature. Birds also contribute proteins. Their meat is tastier and
contains less fat. Some birds as crows clean some rubbish or as woodpeckers eat
harmful insects. Birds also have enriched languages with a good number figure
of speech. The metaphors or simile, bird's eye view or eating like a bird or
the saying, birds of a feather flock together have become homely. We have our
Bengali metaphors pakhir Buli cramming like a bird without understanding the
meaning or, pakhir pran feeble vitality like a bird and pran pakhi- encaging of
the soul of human being in his body as a bird in a cage. Bird's co-existence
with other components of Nature is essential for maintenance of bio-diversity
and environmental balance, and their beauty and charm are enchanting gifts for
us and mankind.
