Updated:
July 17, 2016 05:52 IST
Pied
cuckoo or Jacobin cuckoo that migrates to India all the way from Africa, and
described as the harbinger of monsoon in Indian mythology, was spotted in the
jungles near Bidar recently, and photographed by a wildlife enthusiast.
Sainath
Sharma, photographer and bird conservation enthusiast, said that pied cuckoo
has rarely been studied and photographed in these parts.
This
was corroborated by H.S. Patil, former professor of zoology, who has documented
birds in Bidar. “It is amazing that these birds can travel up to 5,500 km, from
Africa to India. They come here for mating and nesting and they begin their journey
months before monsoon arrives in India,” he said.
Mr.
Patil said though pied cuckoos have been visiting Khanapur, Shahpur, and Chitta
forests around Bidar, there have been few attempts to get them photographically
documented.
Mr.
Sharma said the bird figures in ‘puranas’ and ancient Indian literature.
“Legendary Sanskrit poet Kalidasa has used the bird, called Jataka bird, as a
metaphor for patience and purity,” he said.
In
Indian mythology, it is a bird that waits through summer for the seasons to change,
only to open its mouth to the skies to drink rain water directly.
Mr.
Patil said it braves rough winds and changes in temperature before settling in
flat areas like the Deccan plateau. “It stays here for months before starting
its journey back,” he said.
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