Of Birds and Bees!

During my childhood, courtship and love making was not usually talked about openly. Especially with little children. Birds and bees were used as metaphors to describe love making and procreation. “It’s time you know about the birds and the bees”, the elders would say to children! It’s ironical because the birds and bees themselves were never so ashamed about their sexuality!

While birds and bees both reproduce sexually, that is, the female egg will be fertilized by the male sperm, it’s fascinating to know that they also help plants reproduce.

Some interesting facts emerged as I visited Karnala Bird Sanctuary last Sunday with Adesh and Sweedle.

Sweedle, who is presently researching orchids in India, pointed out to a dry bush ahead.  At first it seemed as if it were dead. On close scrutiny I was surprised to see beautiful little flowers, which Sweedle identified as Bee Orchid (Cottonia peduncularis). This was an epiphyte which was growing on the dry “host” bush.   

Bee Orchid is so named because the lip of the flower resembles a bee. Scientists believe that the flower’s lip mimics a female bee sitting on the flower. In this way it tempts the male bee which gets fooled into thinking that the flower is actually a female bee! In the bargain, the flower manages to procreate its own species as the bee helps in pollination!

It’s as if the orchid gives an open invitation to the bee, “Come, make love to me!” And the bee makes love to the flower! But not to spawn his own species! The bee’s attempt at love making has helped another living being proliferate! No hush hush here!

While this is just one of the enthralling facts about bees, the birds too hold much allure.

The Pale-billed Flowerpecker is one such fascinating bird. Dull coloured and tiny (it is barely 8 cms in size), this bird is the very reason for the existence of a certain parasitic plant, the Loranthus. The seed of this parasitic creeper will germinate only if it passes through the digestive track of the Flowerpecker. When the Flowerpecker feasts on the fruit of the Loranthus, the sticky seed, after a rapid passage through their gut is thrown out as excreta. But as the seed is sticky and difficult to dislodge, the bird applies its vent to the surface of a suitable perch so as to get rid of the seed, which then sticks onto the branch where it subsequently germinates.

So while the Flowerpecker has savoured its meal, the Loranthus has quietly reproduced! An incredible example of symbiosis!

It was my second sighting of the vivid Indian Pitta this season. The first being in Tadoba in east Maharashtra, in the end of April.

Often referred to as ‘Navrang’ because of their rainbow colours, Pittas breed in north and central India and winter in the south right upto Sri Lanka. On their migratory route back to the north, they pass through Maharashtra and Central India from mid May to mid June. There have been sporadic records of the Pitta breeding in the Mumbai region. Breeding records from South Maharashtra (Sindhudurg, Chiplun, Ratnagiri etc) are however, very regular.

It is interesting to note that Pittas are very vocal during their passage to the north, bringing the forest alive with their melodious song. In contrast, on their return journey down south around the month of October, they are so silent that they are noticed with difficulty.

As we were wandering in the canopy that warm Sunday morning, one individual showed up at close quarters. His melodious call, accompanied by the rhythmic movement of its head, thrusting it upwards and back, made a pretty picture. Soon another individual called from the distance, as if in reply to his one. This exchange went on for a few minutes.

Even as the Pittas sang melodiously, the Crested Serpent Eagle called from a distance. The cantankerous call of the Black Hooded Oriole broke the stillness of the forest. A Vigor’s Sunbird hovered around the flowers. Racket-tailed Drongos flew overhead displaying their glistening plumage and racket-shaped tail.

Moving onwards, we were to get wonderful glimpses of the White-rumped Shama, Heart-spotted, Brown-headed Pygmy and Rufous Woodpeckers, Chestnut Shouldered Petronia, Wood Shrike, Bronze and Racket-tailed Drongo, Coppersmith and Brown-headed Barbet, Iora, Orange Minivet, and many more of our feathered friends. Along the way, two other species of orchid made a feast for my eyes – Tiger Orchid (Acampe praemorsa) and Fox-tail Orchid (Rhynchostylis retusa).

After a Sunday morning well spent, as we headed back to the city, I couldn’t help but make light of the hypocrisy we humans harbour in dealing with our own sexuality. After all we are part of the same ecosystem in which the birds and the bees exist. Aren’t we?

Nivedita Kothare

24^th May 2015
Karnala