KOCHI: For Mohammad Harish, an avid bird lover, a recent trip to Aachilmala Hills near Naduvannur in Kozhikode signalled an encounter straight out of a birder’s dreams. One of the founding members of Kozhikode Birders, a bird-watching group started a little over three years ago, Harish along with his friend Jithesh Nochard were on one of their regular escapades when the duo spotted what they assumed to be a rare migratory bird hitherto unseen in the district.
Wasting no time, Harish, who works in the revenue department, cranked open his camera and clicked a picture of the tiny bird, no bigger than a sparrow, perched on a branch in clear view. It was, however, only after prominent ornithologist Sathyan Meppayur, also a founding member of Kozhikode Birders, examined the photo that Harish realised he had captured the first-ever recorded sighting of the red-headed bunting in the district.
“The birdwatching trip proved lucky for me. It was just my friend and I, but we spotted a fantastic creature. This is the first photographic record of the bird from Kozhikode. Although there have been 20 sightings in Kerala so far, the red-headed bunting is considered a rare species to spot. The bird is native to central Asia and Afghanistan, Iran, Kazakhstan and Mongolia and migrates to India and Bangladesh during winter,” says the 32-year-old.
Harish’s tryst with birdwatching began around four years ago, on one fine morning while on his way to work. Harish spotted the white-breasted waterhen crossing the road. “I was very intrigued by this duck-like bird with a snow white bust. I searched online with all the keywords and finally found what its name was. Gradually, my interest in birds evolved to a point that I became acquainted with other birders in the district. This is how Kozhikode Birders was founded by Sathyan and I,” says Harish.The birding community now has more than 70 members. They also conduct webinars and sessions for school students to learn more about local bird species and backyard birding.