GOA DIARIES: MEETING THE BRAHMINY KITES
As I had mentioned in my last post (Link), we reached Bhabi's place at Goa Velha by 11:00 am in the morning on 27th April. Her parents were kind enough to keep the entire first floor of their duplex at our disposal. The top storey which was built recently is huge and the best part of it is that it is well maintained. The spacious rooms, big windows, well laid out bathrooms, minimal furniture and most importantly, the 'first class' treatment that we received there, made us feel as if we were staying in a holiday home. Situated about 300 m away from the busy road connecting Margao and Panjim, the locality is peaceful with both Hindu and Christian families living in perfect harmony. As the house is located amidst the Bhatt (Goan Konkani word for 'Plantation'), the view from the balcony was soothing to the eyes and the feeling of inhaling fresh air after such a long time felt very good. From here, I spotted several bird species - Common Mynas, Red Whiskered Bulbuls, Magpie Robins, Black Kites and Flameback Woodpeckers to name a few in just about 10 minutes. Not so surprisingly, this was to become my favourite place for bird watching in the coming days. I actually felt nostalgic here since the layout of the top floor and the surroundings - specially the coconut trees, the birds and the fresh air, reminded me of our Porvorim home.
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A pair of Brahminy Kites
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While mom decided to be at home for the rest of the day since she was tired after the 15 hour long arduous journey, my plan was to meet my friends from GEC. Two of them - Niks and DD were to come to Panjim in the latter's car and I decided to hop into it at the Goa Velha bypass road. With Bhabi's dad dropping me there, I arrived at the designated place well before time, for a change. There was very little shade here; the high humidity levels - something that I am not used to in Bengaluru, started taking its toll on me and I started sweating profusely. After about five minutes of watching cars and buses go by at break neck speed, screeching sounds (keeyew) from the sky, caught my attention. As I looked towards the heavens, I saw a pair of Brahminy Kites hovering above, sailing across the light blue sky like fighter jets and executing some breath taking mid air stunts like aerial spins and nose dives, before taking off again. This continued for some time before the duo finally settled on a nearby tree which offered an excellent view of the area. Since the guys were still about 15 km away, I decided to make the best of this opportunity, crossed over to the other side of the road (so as to utilize the 50X Zoom of the Canon SX50HS to the fullest) and took some pictures of these birds of prey.
Characterized by white head, breast and underside, the Brahminy Kite is one of the most common members of the Accipitridae family (eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures) found in the country, specially along the shore line. Their plumage consists of different shades of brown and wing tips are black. The contrasting colours and the distinct yellow beak and round bronze eyes make them admirable. Their range extends from the Sub-continent to Australia covering large parts of South-Eastern Asia. Though it is primarily a scavenger which feeds on dead fish and crabs, it is known to hunt rodents, hares and bats too. They also indulge in kleptoparasitism, stealing prey from other avians. As of today, the four main sub-species of these kites identified by the ornithologists are as follows:
The mating season amongst the South Asian sub-species extends from April to June, just before the onset of the rains. The young, generally two in number are born after an incubation period of about 25 days. Although, they are evaluated as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List, their population is on the decline in some places like the island of Java. This species is celebrated in cultures across South and South-Eastern Asia. In India, it is associated with Garuda - the King of the birds and the vahana or the mythical mount of Lord Vishnu. The Brahminy Kite or the Elang Bondol as they are called here, is the official mascot of the Indonesian capital city of Jakarta.
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Characterized by white head, breast and underside, the Brahminy Kite is one of the most common members of the Accipitridae family (eagles, kites, harriers and Old World vultures) found in the country, specially along the shore line. Their plumage consists of different shades of brown and wing tips are black. The contrasting colours and the distinct yellow beak and round bronze eyes make them admirable. Their range extends from the Sub-continent to Australia covering large parts of South-Eastern Asia. Though it is primarily a scavenger which feeds on dead fish and crabs, it is known to hunt rodents, hares and bats too. They also indulge in kleptoparasitism, stealing prey from other avians. As of today, the four main sub-species of these kites identified by the ornithologists are as follows:
| SUB-SPECIES | IDENTIFIED BY | YEAR | RANGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| H. indus | - Boddaert | - 1783 | - South-Asia |
| H. flavirostris | - Condon & Amadon | - 1954 | - Solomon Islands |
| H. girrenera | - Vieillot | - 1822 | - New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Australia |
| H. intermedius | - Blyth | - 1865 | - Malay Peninsula, Indonesia, Philippines |
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Perched: A Brahminy Kite at Goa Velha bypass road |
Coming back to the Goa trip after all the gyaan, after clicking several snaps, I kept my camera aside and stood there just looking at these winged creatures. Though, I was fully drenched in sweat, I wasn't complaining. Who gets to see these amazing animals everyday, especially if you are an IT professional employed in Bengaluru. After waiting for half an hour, at about 12:30 in the afternoon, I could see a grey Wagon R coming my way. As the car approached closer, I could see clearly see DD behind the steering wheel with a grin on his face as Niks frantically waved at me through the window. I got into the back seat and as the car headed towards Panjim, I looked at the pair of the Brahminy Kites still perched on the trees through the back window, being grateful for the company that they had given me for the last 30 minutes.
The two impromptu photo shoots on the same day - the Cormorant at Ankola (Link) and the Brahminy Kites at Goa Velha was a fantastic beginning to the Goa trip. Though the snaps are just ordinary, as any ace photographer will point out, the whole experience will be etched in my memory for a long time. It re-affirmed my faith that the Western coast, which is undergoing modernization at a rapid pace still continues to be one of the most beautiful places in the country, especially for a nature lover like me. From the mesmerizing salt pans of Kutch to the pristine beaches of Kerala, it is full of surprises. The mighty Western ghats and the vast Arabian have colluded to make it one of the most ecological diverse regions of the world and it is in our interest not to tamper with it.
The two impromptu photo shoots on the same day - the Cormorant at Ankola (Link) and the Brahminy Kites at Goa Velha was a fantastic beginning to the Goa trip. Though the snaps are just ordinary, as any ace photographer will point out, the whole experience will be etched in my memory for a long time. It re-affirmed my faith that the Western coast, which is undergoing modernization at a rapid pace still continues to be one of the most beautiful places in the country, especially for a nature lover like me. From the mesmerizing salt pans of Kutch to the pristine beaches of Kerala, it is full of surprises. The mighty Western ghats and the vast Arabian have colluded to make it one of the most ecological diverse regions of the world and it is in our interest not to tamper with it.
SOURCES
(1) Wikipedia: Brahminy Kite (Link)
For more on the Goa Trip:
(1) A Trip To Goa... Finally (Link)