In a beautiful wetland in the middle of the busy city of Kolkata lived many birds of various species. These birds lived among the shrubs and grass that grew in and around the marshes. They foraged for insects and seeds in the tall green grass and the waders enjoyed swimming around the clear ponds.
Life for these birds was happy and enjoyable. But what they looked forward to was the arrival of migratory birds for winter. Their guests shared entertaining stories of foreign lands and adventures of their travels. This livened up the cold, dull winters of the wetlands.
One winter, everything was destined to change.
Growing smaller
As the city expanded and more trees were cut down to lay roads and construct houses for humans, the small wetland shrank further. Many city birds sought refuge among the grasses and it became cramped. Soon, food became scarce. The once happy wetland birds grew worried.
As winter approached, the concerns of the wetland birds increased. Soon, the migratory birds would arrive and how could they receive them with open wings like they usually did?
The birds gathered to express their concern, and if possible, find a solution.
“There will be no food for anyone if we feed them this winter,” shrieked Betty, the mother of three black-headed munias. The old grandfather who had seen many winters and many migratory birds come and go, was worried too. “The wetlands have never run out of food. But this winter,” he shook his black head with regret, “We might not be able to feed our guests if we have to feed ourselves.”
Perry, the playful paddyfield pipit who frolicked about the grasses playing catch and hide-and-seek with the bushlarks, complained, “I used to forage for an hour in the morning and my work was done for the day. Now I spend the entire day looking for food. I have no time to play. How can we feed more birds with our limited supply?”
A noisy flock of red wattled lapwing pushed and shoved as they jostled to be heard. They were in a hurry to go swimming. Every morning the red wattled lapwings raced one another. The winner’s prize was the biggest, and fattest insect.
“We don’t have a moment to waste,” shrieked Ruby, a lapwing. “First it was only the birds, now humans too are stealing our snails,” she flapped her wings for take off. “How can we share our food with more birds?”
Glitter the old Grebe who lived by a pristine pond where white lotus bloomed and migratory birds settled for winter, was fond of listening to their stories. The lesser whistling ducks who flew down in winter were her good friends. They enthralled her with stories of snow capped mountains and places they had seen while flying to the wetlands.
This winter Glitter didn’t want her friends to visit. She would have to do without stories. “There used to be food in the pond even after my friends went back. Now, there isn’t even water for me to wade. If the lesser whistling ducks come, we will all die of hunger,” cried Glitter, bitterly.
Words of wisdom
Jack, the pheasant tailed jacana was one of the oldest residents. Wise and kind, it made him sad to hear the birds speak of breaking friendships and turning away guests. Food scarcity was the problem, so only food was the solution.
“Listen up my friends,” Jack said, spreading his wings and addressing all the birds, big and small. “We all need food to live.”
The birds chirped and nodded.
“But we also need something more.”
The birds looked at one another.
Jack smiled, and continued, his slender, silky golden nape glistened in the sunshine. “We also need friends.”
“Friends!” the birds erupted in chorus, as if he’d spoken of a predator.
“Tell me Glitter, would you be happy spending the cold winter alone, without the warm stories of our migratory friends?”
“Certainly not,” replied Glitter.
“What about you, Ruby?” asked Jack. “What if you were alone and had no one to race? You could still get the biggest insect.”
Ruby thought, then replied, “But eating alone is no fun.”
Perry too couldn’t do without his friends, and nodded in agreement. “Life without friends would be no fun at all,” he said.
“So more birds aren’t the problem,” concluded Jack. Betty, Perry, Glitter and Ruby agreed that the problem was food. “And I know how this can be solved.”
The birds looked at Jack expectantly.
“You will be surprised to know that food scarcity isn’t just a bird problem. Even humans face this crisis. It can be solved with a little common sense and planting trees.”
“But how can we plant trees?” asked the utterly baffled birds.
Jack wondered at his friends ignorance, and said, “Birds help seed dispersal, didn’t you know that? Seeds pass out through our digestive system. We can also carry seeds and drop them wherever we want a tree to grow.”
The birds listened to Jack’s ideas and worked to implement them.
Every season brought a different food supply. When farmers grew crops, or when the trees were laden with seasonal fruit, there was abundant food, a lot of which perished due to lack of storage. Jack and his wetland birds built nests and began to store the excess food grains in tree hollows for later days.
In times when food was scarce, they didn’t waste supplies. And most of all, every bird was entrusted with the task of dispersing seeds far and wide, so more trees would propagate and provide food and shelter in the future.
That winter, when their guests arrived tired and hungry, the wetland birds greeted them with open wings and food like good hosts.
