Messy Eaters

Figs are a veritable feast for all kinds of birds – whether in a forest or a city. A fig with ripe fruits acts as a beacon, inviting animals to feast on it and help disperse its seeds, in return for the sugar-rich fruit. Here are a few birds we caught feeding on the ripe figs of a banyan (Ficus benghalensis) tree in the city. While the tiny white-eyes peck at the fruit, the parakeets usually break off a ripe fruit and sit munching on it. They are messy eaters, not averse to dropping the fruit if they don’t like the taste and going for another one!