MANGALURU: They say charity begins at home, but should not end there. And a 36-year-old postgraduate in Economics from Dakshina Kannada has adopted this saying as his life’s mantra for the past seven years, and been providing a safe place for chirpy birds to rest.
Meet Nithyananda Shetty, founder of Gubbachichi Goodu Abhiyana, who started the forum with a motto to conserve birds. Shetty and his 26-year-old wife Ramya, an M.Com graduate, have dedicated their lives to birds by distributing nests made of wood and bamboo and clay pots for the winged creatures to quench their thirst. The couple also strives to create awareness among people about the importance of birds and their contribution to the ecosystem.
The farmer couple, who grow horticulture crops for a living, has created a haven for the winged visitors on a patch of two acres of land at Elianadugodu in Bantwal taluk, Dakshina Kannada district, by planting different fruit-bearing trees like chikku, guava, banana and jackfruit. A survey carried out during last year’s lockdown revealed that 93 species of birds have made the Shetty family land, located 50 km from Mangaluru, their home.
When one visits Shetty, he or she is welcomed by the serene sounds of birds chirping. Shetty says he did not have to look far from home for inspiration. As a kid, he saw his mother always being kind to birds and that has had a life-changing impact on him, so much so that he now eats, breathes and sleeps birds!
“Even birds feel hungry and thirsty. How helpless we feel if we don’t have access to food and water?” he says when asked about the motive behind his selfless work.
Sharing an instance, Shetty says he once got a call from a stranger asking if he could provide him with two nests to hang on trees outside his home. Within a few hours, Shetty set out on his two-wheeler, carrying with him three nests. He delivered two nests to the caller and asked him if there was anyone who wanted the extra nest. And when the caller pulled out a few notes from his pocket to pay Shetty for the service, the latter refused to take any money.
The Shetty couple does not accept any money for their noble work and spends a chunk from their hard-earned money for the cause of the tiny creatures. The couple lives with their two-yearold child and leads a simple life. A dhoti-clad Shetty doesn’t even wear footwear and dons trousers only when he has to ride somewhere far on his motorbike.
In the past seven years, the couple has distributed more than 1,000 nests to hundreds of residents of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. They have also given hundreds of talks on the importance of conservation of birds in schools and villages.
“Once we were travelling to Jammu and Kashmir by train… we distributed handbills stressing the need to protect birds to hundreds of our fellow passengers,” a gleaming Shetty adds.
They regularly upload videos on YouTube, educating people on the importance of conserving birds. “We are very happy if someone comes forward to keep a nest around their house. That shows they really care for birds,” says Shetty. While they source the bamboo from friends and relatives, they buy clay pots and wood from the local market.
Shetty also dons the hat of a diviner to locate the perfect spot to place the nests to attract birds. “Vehicular noise and movement of pets, like cats, pose a serious threat to birds. So, we pick a place that is calm and in the shade to protect the nests from rain,” adds Shetty. He appeals to people to give water and grains to birds during summer months, and plant saplings during the monsoon that in future will attract birds.
Shetty says birds are a symbol of health of a human habitation. “We have driven out crows that were helpful to human beings as scavengers. Sparrows have also gone missing… same is the case with the nightingale. Birds migrating to far-off places for breeding purposes is common. But if they migrate for food and water, it reflects badly on human beings!” he concludes.
Common birds on Shetty’s land
Crow, great cormorant, owl, kingfisher, crane, pigeon, bulbul, jungle fowl, peacock, sunbird, common myna, grey junglefowl, cuckoo, spotted munia, parakeet, woodpecker, green pigeon, Indian pond heron
93 species of birds found on Shetty’s two-acre land