Not many exhibitions would be dedicated to a bird. But a bird photography exhibition organised by the Department of Forests (Social Forestry Wing) and the Malabar Natural History Society (MNHS) in connection with the World Wildlife Week celebrations is dedicated to Martha, the last known passenger pigeon. It died on September 1, 1914, leaving the species extinct.
The show titled Sancharipravinte Ormaykku (In memory of a passenger pigeon), with a clear message for conservation, has photographs of over a hundred birds, including rare, endemic, and endangered ones from different parts of the country. They are snaps taken by a group of 25 wildlife photographers such as T.N.A. Perumal, P.K. Uthaman, and the late M.S. Mayilvahanan. Starting with a picture of Martha that died at the Cincinnati Zoo in the United States, the show takes the viewers through a spectrum of emotions as they see birds in myriad moods.
It is not just the incredible variety of the birds that makes the show appealing but their astounding exquisiteness also contributes to it. The twelve-wired Bird of Paradise and the ribbon-tailed Astrapia will arrest any visitor with their splendour.
The collection on display is rich with cute kingfishers, elegant pheasants, scary owls, dazzling parakeets, intimidating vultures, tiny sparrows, royal eagles, and spectacular hornbills. Besides the different varieties of familiar water birds such as ducks, gulls, and egrets, the show also has a range of birds endemic to different regions. The grey-headed Bulbul and the Malabar Parakeets at the show are endemic to the Western Ghats.
Posters that sensitise the viewers about the need for conservation also are included in the show along with a bunch of interesting drawings of birds by noted artists. A poster explains five important reasons for extinction of birds - human population explosion, hunting and overexploitation, destruction of habitats, pollution, and invasion of foreign species. The show that began on Wednesday will end on October 11.
