Did-you-do-it bird
RAJIV K.SINGH
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The Red wattled lapwing is one of the few birds that have survived in the Capital.
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PHOTO: RAJIV K. SINGH
PERFECTLY CAMOUFLAGED: Red wattled lapwing chicks.
As a schoolboy I used to hear the harsh did-you-do-it bird or the lapwing while I studied late into the night. The bird call would repeatedly shatter the silence of the night and also reassure me that daybreak was still far off.
In Delhi today, the Red wattled lapwing is one of the few birds that has survived. A beautiful bird indeed and undoubtedly the farmer's best friend as it feeds on the insects in the field.
Helping hand
My friendship now goes beyond mere watching and photographing. The chicks are perfectly camouflaged. The colouring pattern of their plumage matches the dry grass and the dry patches of earth.
I once saw a chick walking in an awkward manner while searching for insects. It would fall to the ground every two steps. I went closer and soon found that a thin plastic cord had entangled its legs and its left wing.
I tried to disentangle the knots but found it a difficult task. I thought of going home and returning with a knife or a blade to cut the cord, but realised that a stray dog or some unkind human may harm it. So I continued at my task and with great care and concentration and set the bird free.
It was a great relief for the chick and the anxious mother bird who had stopped screeching long before I placed the chick back on the ground.
She knew what I was doing it seems!
The reunion was joyous.
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