Did you know that kingfishers inspired Japanese engineer Eiji Nakatsu to create a better, quieter bullet train? Or that birds are the closest living relatives of the long-gone T-Rex and Velociraptor, that the large-scale culling of sparrows in China during Chairman Mao’s Great Leap Forward ended up triggering a famine in the country, and that the chicks of the greater painted-snipe are taken care of by their father, not their mother?
The Wonder of Birds, a free online course released by Early Bird earlier this week, is filled with delightful little nuggets of information like this, ideal for luring a curious novice into the complex, fascinating world of our feathered friends. “As birders, we love to share the joy and wonder of birds with others and introduce young and old to the therapeutic and enjoyable hobby of birdwatching,” says Garima Bhatia, Programme Manager of Early Bird, a not-for-profit initiative that seeks to bring children closer to birds and nature.
Greater Flamingo | Photo Credit: Saswat Mishra
While nothing beats going out and actually watching birds, this simple, accessible online course is a good starting point to reach out to large numbers of people and nudge them to pay more attention to the birds with whom we share our planet, she believes. “There is a lot of information and fascinating things about birds that maybe the beginner or even someone watching birds may not be aware of,” says Bhatia, also the course director.
House Sparrow | Photo Credit: Subhadra Devi
The appeal of birds
As she points out, birds have long captivated the human spirit and imagination in a way no other animal does, making them the perfect starting point for anyone’s nature appreciation journey.“They are beautiful and enchanting, their behaviours are fascinating, and their acts of endurance awe-inspiring. They have intrigued humans for centuries,” says Bhatia.
Great Indian Bustard | Photo Credit: Aseem Kothiala
She is not wrong, given how ubiquitous birds have been to our myths, motifs, rituals and culture. Also, they are a vital part of all urban spaces: unlike most other wildlife, you don’t need to go to a forest or protected area to see birds. Moreover, people can relate to their behaviour. “They sing, they dance, they show affection, take care of their young, nest, defend their territories,” says Bhatia. “That adds to the appeal of birds, I think.”
Yet, birds—like many other species—are facing an existential crisis due to climate change, habitat loss, hunting, disease and invasive species, among other threats. “Young people will have to redouble conservation efforts in the future,” she says, pointing out that the best way to get them to care enough is to make them experience the joy and wonder of nature in all its glory.
Indian Peafowl | Photo Credit: Saswat Mishra
Increasing awareness
Over the past ten years, Early Bird has sought to increase awareness of birds, especially among the young, through its various programmes, which fall broadly under three umbrellas: content, training, and outreach. The organisation not only focuses on developing educational resources in multiple languages and training educators who engage with children, but it also conducts direct outreach through its Young Birders’ Network. “We have been conducting online workshops for kids in the age group 10-13 who want to take this further,” says Bhatia, who believes that this age range is the ideal time to start introducing children to birdwatching. “They are old enough to be able to focus on watching birds but not old enough that they are overwhelmed with studies and exams.”
The Wonder of Birds, which also falls under the direct outreach umbrella, is a great resource for “absolutely anyone curious about birds and wants to know a bit more. Spread across four chapters, each addressing a specific aspect of birds, including their natural history, cultural significance, identifying traits and the threats they face, the course is “free of jargon and technical terms, child-friendly, but not childish,” she adds.
Purple Sunbird | Photo Credit: Saswat Mishra
Designing the course
Bhatia says that a lot of thought went into the structure and format of the course, which was conceptualised and developed over the last year. “In addition to keeping it simple and child-friendly, we wanted it to provide a bite-sized introduction to the world of birds, not just in India but around the world,” she says. To keep it engaging, the three-hour-long course is interspersed with fun activities, quizzes, and 16 high-quality videos about different aspects of birds shot by filmmaker Rituraj Singh. “We spent a lot of time trying to make it interesting to someone new to birds,” she says.
Purple Swamphen | Photo Credit: Saswat Mishra
The Wonder of Birds, which is supported by Rainmatter Foundation, Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, and The Habitats Trust, is self-paced and accessible to anyone with a smartphone and a basic grasp of English. “After signing up for the course, the videos and activities are available for the user to access at any time, and they can complete it at their convenience,” says Bhatia, who hopes that more children will take the course in the summer when they have some free time.
Grey Heron | Photo Credit: Rahul Singh
Bhatia, who is from Bengaluru, a city that probably possesses the longest-running regular series of bird walks in the country thanks to an active and helpful community of expert birders, hopes the course will also help expand the birding community here. “We hope that this course will spur those who are new to birds to seek out bird walks in their neighbourhood.”
The Wonder of Birds can be accessed on the Early Bird website
