Q1.
Do you know which birds in your area are seen only during winter?
Answer
This one you must answer from your own place — so here is the method, and then a model answer.
Method: keep a notebook from October to March. Each week, write the date, the place, the bird and how many. A bird is a winter visitor if it appears in that window and is gone by summer. Compare your list with an older person in the village or with a local bird checklist.
Sample answer: in our area we saw these only in the winter months —
| Bird | Where we saw it | Months |
|---|---|---|
| Demoiselle Crane | Village water body (as at Khichan, Jodhpur district) | November – February |
| Northern Pintail, Common Teal | Village pond and canal | November – March |
| Rosy Starling | Flocks over the fields | October – March |
| Greater Flamingo | Shallow lake / salt pan | December – March |
Why it happens: these birds fly thousands of miles to avoid harsh climate elsewhere and to search for food. While they are here they act as pollinators and seed dispersers, so they link two habitats that are thousands of kilometres apart. Many are also predators of insect pests, and so help farmers control pest populations and indirectly help healthy crop growth.
Try This: collect the postal stamps and covers of migratory birds released by the Indian Postal Department, find out where each bird comes from and why it migrates, and display them in your science laboratory or school library.