20 Apr A day full of Rosy Starlings
Nidhi writes about an amazing day spent chasing rosy starlings across the city.
Rosy Starling on a Peepul tree
It was barely dawn when I left my house to go to Sunder Nursery for our tree monitoring. The moment I stepped out, I was greeted by the loud chirping of rosy starlings, greedily feeding on the figs of the peepul tree right behind my building. In the western part of Delhi where I live, this lively chirping of birds is quite uncommon these days. Long gone are the days when I used to lie under a mulberry tree in front of my grandparents’ house, trying to spot the small sparrows moving around in the canopy. But every year, in the middle of April, flocks of hundreds of rosy starlings descend on the city, including my neighbourhood, taking me back to those days.
After starting the day on this wonderful note, I finally made my way to Sunder Nursery. That day we were monitoring a chamrod tree, full of ripe, sweet and tangy berries. We saw several rose-ringed parakeets, mynas and of course, the rosy starlings feeding on its fruits. The rosies are such energetic and lively birds, chattering about constantly, that even a few birds sound like dozens! And they were quite territorial, chasing off other birds from the tree as they lay claim on the ripe berries for themselves, leaving us fascinated.
A rose-ringed parakeet and a rosy starling feed on the ripe berries of chamrod
After a cool March and a somewhat decent April beginning, it was now starting to get hot in Delhi. As I rested at home for a bit, trying to cool down before venturing out for my evening monitoring session, I again heard the distinct chitter-chatter of the rosies, but this time closer. I peered out of my third-floor window and was treated to the amazing sight of dozens of them taking over the entire canopy of the peepul tree.
I ended the day with my friend in the park, watching the sun setting behind the trees, hundreds and hundreds of rosies flying over, covering the whole sky, the scene nothing less than astonishing.
A pair of courting coppersmith barbets
I went chasing the rosy starlings again that evening, as we monitored a beautiful peepul tree in Nehru Park. While the tree was full of these chattering birds, the show was stolen by a pair of coppersmith barbets in courtship. I felt extremely happy and satisfied as a birder in the city. I ended the day with my friend in the park, watching the sun setting behind the trees, hundreds and hundreds of rosies flying over, covering the whole sky, the scene nothing less than astonishing.
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