A particular species of the kingfisher,
known for its flamboyance and also for fishing in troubled waters, is suddenly
becoming scarcer over the skies of the Indian sub-continent.
This species does not have the
blue-yellow plumage of the common variety but is of a silvery-white hue with
red markings along its body. It is a high flier and is known to move around
quite comfortably in rarefied atmosphere. The bird has a penchant for carrying
out unpredictable manouvres. In the past this bird has been seen to suddenly
move out of its regular haunts and explore neighbouring territories.
This kingfisher is known to forage for
and hunt down big fish. Its modus operandi is to lure the fish with all sorts
of attractive stuff, only to leave it in the lurch when the fish least expects
it.
The fish seem to have belatedly
understood these tactics. In the past few months, they have responded with
frosty behaviour and have given it the cold shoulder. In other words, the
fish have given the bird the bird! Sky gazers have reported sighting this
bird circling endlessly over the Indian skies, desperately looking for prey.
With the onset of winter and the sudden
drop in temperature, not to speak of the sudden non-co-operative attitude of
the enlightened prey, the big bird is not able to maintain its soaring flight.
It seems to have been affected by a peculiar malady, known as “Rapid
Chil-Blain” (RCB); with all this flying around in the high skies and with
little or no food to fuel it, the bird finds itself unable to flap its wings,
thereby allowing a sort of dew to build up all over its wings and body, forcing
it to fly lower and lower.
The kingfisher has to clear the dew if
it has to re-energize itself to survive and take to the air again. The dew so
heavily built up makes it almost impossible for this high flier to single
handedly clear and it needs to get help, which cannot be had from over the
water but down at earth on the sand banks on either side. The kingfisher does
not seem to have found any help from any bank.
There is also severe competition from
other birds sharing the same air space, like the flamingo, the drongo and other
such "go"s.
Avid avian enthusiasts are keeping
their eyes wide open and watching with interest the acrobatics being performed.
Don't watch this space, watch the
skies!
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