Snigdha Kar
Where do you live?
New Delhi
What do you do?
I am working on climate change policy and politics as part of the Indian Youth Climate Network’s Agents of Change program.
When did you start watching birds?
In January 2008, while working with Bombay Natural History Society at Asola Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary.
Who would you consider your birding mentor?
I started under guidance of Mr. Sajeev T.K. I later joined the Delhi Bird group and got to interact and share knowledge with many keen birders like Cmdr. Kanwar Singh, Mr. Suresh C Sharma. I never got a chance to go out on a birding trip with Dr. Rahmani but I do write to him about my observations and he has been very helpful in explaining to me many aspects of bird behaviour.
Please describe a memorable birding experience
My most memorable birding experience has been that of watching the nesting behaviour of Common Woodshrike in Asola. There is a beautiful watchtower in Asola, which was my favourite place to read. One day when I was taking a group of students on a nature trail near this watchtower a Woodshrike came and sat on a branch next to the trail. I started to explain to the students the nesting behaviours of different birds without even noticing that the Woodshrike is sitting on its nest! Suddenly, I realised that the bird is sitting on its nest. There were two chicks inside the nest and unlike other birds chick there were very quiet. The nest was really small (about 5 cm in diameter and 3 cm deep), circular and built on a Y-shaped branch. I went back to get my camera; it took almost half an hour to find the nest again! After five days I saw that there were actually three chicks not two. I took some pictures; I was later made aware by expert birder of the fact that I should not click pictures of nesting birds.
What is/are your favourite migrants?
My favourite migrant is the Black Redstart.
What is your favourite place to watch migrants?
I go birding in Asola, Okhla Bird Park and Hauz Khas.
Do you have any advice for beginning birdwatchers and naturalists?
Bird watching is fun so go ahead!
Why do you think people should care about birds and nature?
We simply can’t avoid our responsibility towards the planet that is providing us with all that we need. We should understand the fact that each species on earth has an important role to play and it’s in our hand to protect them. We are destroying the balance of nature and we really depend on nature for all our requirements, be it food, water, cloth, medicine etc. The numbers of vultures have reduced to a critical level due to anthropogenic factor which has resulted in many problems in rural areas, but the sad part is this we have realized the importance of vultures only when the number reduced drastically. Each species is important.
Singdha is an active member of the Indian Youth Climate Network and occasionally Blogs on the IYCN Blog.
You can write to Snigdha on karsnigdha25 at gmail.com or snigdha at indianyouthclimatenetwork.org. Her MigrantWatch reports can be seen here.
