HYDERABAD: Every morning the sound of fluttering wings awakens the neighbourhood at Park View Enclave in Old Bowenpally. It is exhilarating to watch the pairs of exotic birds like Conures, Yellow sided Conures, Pineapple Conures, Sun Conures and Blue Conures leap madly inside in their breeding boxes. As we walk around, Nanda Kishore tells us, “One should always blink in front of a bird. If you stare at it intently, it will freak out just like people,” he shares. It is a childhood hobby and he’s glad to be able to keep his passion alive. “This madness has been passed on to my mother,” he laughs.
There are around 70 pairs of exotic birds at his breeding set up. “I started off with African Love Birds. We got 10 pairs, out of which six pairs were breeding. Then we multiplied them to 35 pairs. When I was successfully breeding them, a few breeders from Bengaluru and Chennai told me, ‘why don’t you do it in a decent set up and start individually breeding them.’ That is where the set up came into action,” he explains.
There are a few other exotic bird enthusiasts. At Ved Prakash’s house in Gunrock Enclave, Pebbles and Cocoa are more than family members. “These African Grey Parrots have been with us for the last two-and-half-years. It is lovely and an out of the world experience because these birds continuously interact with you. They are brainy and have a mind of their own,” he states. He loves the fact that the pets rest on his hand and wander around in the house. “I don’t cage them. They love to sit on my hand,” he smiles.
Ramayya Pendyala’s aviary with Cockatoos, African Love Birds, Eclectus, African Greys, Doves, Macaws, Mandarin ducks, a variety of pigeons and bantams, etc. “ I am also trying to revive many of the lost Indian breeds, be it Indian fowls like Hasils and breeds of dogs and cattle as well,’ he states. A common factor among these feel good stories of conservation has been the passion of bird lovers to give a home to the pets. Ramayaa says, “When I saw people abandoning their pets because they were ‘noisy’ or ‘high-maintenance’, I took them in. I also have people drop off injured or fallen chicks at my aviary. I have an African Grey that was stuffed into a tiny cage ever since it was a chick and hence grew crooked feet and was unable to fly. I took him in and nursed him back to health; now you can barely find a flaw with the chatterbox,” he says with pride.
A common factor among these feel good stories of conservation has been the passion of bird lovers to give a home to the pets. Ramayaa says, “When I saw people abandoning their pets because they were ‘noisy’ or ‘high-maintenance’, I took them in. I also have people drop off injured or fallen chicks at my aviary. I have an African Grey that was stuffed into a tiny cage ever since it was a chick and hence grew crooked feet and was unable to fly. I took him in and nursed him back to health; now you can barely find a flaw with the chatterbox,” he says with pride.
Animal rights activists need have no fear of these exotic bird lovers. Many volunteers shudder at the thought of caged birds and wave flags against cruelty. Nanda Kishore is a member of Avian Society of India and contributes to Animal Protection and Rehabilitation Front, Hyderabad “I talk to everybody and tell them whatever success stories we have had. In the process, it also attracts negative attention when volunteers come and say, ‘what you are doing is wrong because you are caging birds.’ I am an animal lover and like breeding birds. I’m not like one of those people who cage them and do not look after them,” he says. He also feels many do not understand the difference between animal husbandry and cruelty and gives an example of bird shops in Old City. “When one goes there, any bird lover is bound to be pinched. There are 100 birds in one cage with two dead birds and poop is all over the food,” he says and adds, “Some shops have been there for generations; now we are trying to bring in some awareness and educate them.”
Ramayya feels the passion is expensive for someone who is not a commercial breeder. “If you choose to have a bird, you have to intensively study/research on the bird’s likes, dislikes, environment etc. and try to match it to the best. Don’t compromise on the quality or quantity of food and care. Most importantly – spend time with your bird! Of course, nothing is more beautiful than watching them fly free in the wild but the ones fighting extinction due to mankind’s greed need the extra help in survival.”
He talks about stricter rules and discouraging the illegal trade of birds. “I was always cautious about which authentic breeder I get my birds from. Somewhere along, my conscience has been pricked. From an avid collector/breeder, I am moving towards conservation. With the growing illegal trade, which is one of the main reasons for the wild birds to be on the endangered list, I think it is high time everyone realises the moral responsibility to save our wildlife.”
Nanda Kishore has the final word: “I suggested to the curator at the city’s zoo that at the Indian birds section we can have a banner saying ‘keeping these birds is illegal and will be imprisoned for it.’ This is an education programme in a silent and powerful way.”
Special Bond
‘When you have pets, your children grow up with a very positive sense towards life. They understand life. It is not about the knowledge of birds; one should also know how to handle them. In some experiments, autistic children or children with special needs have improved dramatically when surrounded by animals and birds.’
Nanda Kishore
One should always blink in front of a bird. If you stare at it intently, it will freak out just like people
