Birds and their life                                                                                                          

   I saw this flock of Geese near Jamnagar Fort in Gujarat India. Their movement was breath taking. We stood watching their swimming dance.  I thought, ‘’So many of them at a spot! Where do they all go? When they are sick who takes care of them?’’

Despite the fact that there are numerous flocks of birds, which are often seen while alive, people rarely see pavements littered with the bodies of dead birds. Most birds in the wild only live for a few years and they rarely die of natural cause. Small birds are a vital link in a food chain, eating insects, other invertebrates and small amphibians, and are in turn predated themselves by other birds and amphibians. Many young and weak birds will probably subject to predation before dying of disease or old age.

Birds, like many other creatures, will seek secluded, out-of-the-way places when they're feeling sick. They will climb into a hole in a tree, for example. Sick birds will go to ground and because they feel vulnerable they will hide away. Sometimes, rest and seclusion help them to recover, but if they die there, they sometimes won't be found in their hideouts.

 Scavengers and predators, such as rats, cats or foxes, can usually seek out these hideouts for prey. Often, these predators will eat the prey themselves or take them back to feed their young, which is why it's rare to find the remains of dead birds. Due to a bird's light body mass, those that aren't found by predators or scavengers will decompose rapidly. Insects will cover any dead body quickly and the bird would soon decay before it is found.

We see so many birds flying above in the sky. What if all fell down together like rain? No, they don’t.  In the forest they get consumed by other animals very quickly. Many of those that die while flying may fall in water bodies or on mountain tops. In the cities too they will be devoured by other creatures like mouse, racoon etc.

Now we know that birds and creatures want seclusion in sickness and death.

A goose and gander flew to my friend’s backyard. What charm they found there only they would know as they decided to stay there and made a mess in the backyard. Nobody could go near as we all know how this species are aggressive. There is a pond nearby, but it defies all logic and made it its habitat. Mam co-exists with this species from time immemorial but has not understood its ways.

Have you seen a bird sitting on a cow, hours together? It  makes a meal of all the insects on the cow. The cow is cleaned and the bird got its meal. This is the wonder of life.

In Hindu mythology we find some birds playing a very significant role like Jatayu, the vulture. He fights with Ravana and wounds him to save Sita from his clutches. In the ensuing fight he succumbs to his injuries but not before he tells Rama how Ravana abducted Sita.

Then there is Jatayu’s brother Sampati who can see  things from a great distance. So tells Hanuman that Sita was in Lanka kept arrested.

Vishnu’s vehicle Garuda travelled great distance with speed unsurpassed.

Man has always been enamoured by birds because of his flight, migration, nature of adjusting to new surroundings and liberty.

That is why we have a saying,’ ’if only I had wings!’’

Oh, how I would love to have a bird’s life!