Today is the Endemic Bird Day.
Endemic birds are those that are found only within a confined geographical area and it is always a moment to cherish when you spot one of them! Some years ago, George Mothi, my friend and a passionate bird lover took me on a day long birding sojourn in the Athirapalli region of Kerala. It was an unforgettable experience as we were lucky to see a wide range of avian beauties. As we were driving slowly in the forest, George stopped the car as he spotted some movement amongst the dense foliage. Looking closer, I could clearly see a bird, about the size of a crow, blackish with shiny patches of blue on the forehead and shoulders. Its glossy blue plumage with iridescent sheen glinted beautifully in the light. As I watched, the bird was looking for something in the grass. It suddenly halted and….whistled! I couldn’t believe my ears as the sound was so human-like. It is no surprise then that it is often referred as a “Whistling Schoolboy!” Of all the songbirds I have heard, Malabar Whistling Thrush which is endemic to peninsular India, mostly the Western Ghats, is the most mellifluous of them all! The great Salim Ali has commented: "Personally, I would choose as our most accomplished songster, the Greywinged Blackbird of the Himalayas. A number of its close relations, members of the thrush family including the Malabar Whistling Thrush and the Shama follow close on its heels”. The Kadar tribes in the Anaimalai hills believe that when an elder in their community dies, he or she is reborn as a Malabar Whistling Thrush. When they enter the forest and listen to its call they know that they are not alone. As always there is an interesting legend associated with this bird... One day Lord Krishna was wandering along the banks of a mountain stream when he came to a lovely spot with a small waterfall. Enchanted with the beautiful ambiance, he started playing his flute. As he was playing the music, he fell asleep and the flute slipped from his fingers. It was not a restful sleep and when he awoke, he was shocked to see a ragged urchin standing ankle-deep in the pool with the sacred flute held onto his lips. Krishna was furious. “Come here, boy!” he shouted, “How dare you steal my flute and disturb my sleep! Don’t you know who I am?” The urchin replied “I did not steal your flute, lord. Had that been my intention, I would not have waited for you to wake up. It was only my love for your music that made me touch your flute. You will teach me to play, will you not? I will be your disciple.” Krishna’s anger melted away, and he was filled with compassion for the boy. He laid his hand on the boy’s mouth, saying, “Forever try to copy the song of the gods, but never succeed.” Then he touched the boy’s clothes and said, “Let the raggedness and dust disappear, and only the beautiful colours of Krishna remain.” And the boy was turned into a bird with dark blue brilliant body which we now know as the Malabar Whistling Thrush. Its melodious call continues to reverberate among beautiful, forested valleys... Your lovely song Bouncing off the trees Straddling the wind Echoes in my heart still… Feel Free To Let The Whistling Schoolboy Know What You Think Of It... Here!
24 Comments
Sobhana
5/13/2022 08:49:36 pm
What a beauty!!! Never knew this though am from the region...thank you Sir
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Dr Raguram
5/13/2022 09:10:20 pm
Thanks Sobhana!
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Bharathi Mani
5/13/2022 09:13:42 pm
What a beautiful bird and beautifully written piece!
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Dr Raguram
5/13/2022 09:37:40 pm
Thanks Bharathi
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Lalitha
5/13/2022 09:33:53 pm
She is a real beauty and the Krishna story is enchanting 🤗
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Dr Raguram
5/13/2022 09:38:00 pm
Quite true!
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Elizabeth
5/13/2022 09:55:28 pm
Thanks Sir, for this wonderful write up.The Malabar thrush is found all along the Western Ghats and was pretty common in the remote Malnad region where I grew up. I will never forget how he fooled me, long ago, when as a teen, I was washing clothes in the stream, with my skirts all hitched up, confident that nary a soul could see me! So remote and 'peopless' a place it was! But then, there he was whistling away to glory, secreted away in the deep forests edging the water ! Boy! was I mortified! It was only many months later , that I discovered who my naughty secret admirer was!
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Dr Raguram
5/13/2022 10:21:13 pm
That's a wonderful narrative Elizabeth!
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Dr mahesh babu
5/13/2022 10:13:54 pm
Good mythology behind a beautiful bird.
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Dr Raguram
5/13/2022 10:21:50 pm
It will give you hours of immense pleasure Mahesh!
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Elizabeth
5/13/2022 10:25:56 pm
Very true! The forests are all denuded today, and all our Beautiful winged friends, are sadly going extinct! But Many thanks to Dr Raghuram , who brings them all back to life, and brings to us much color and joy through his vivid descriptions! Thanks once again Sir!
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Ravi Shankar Rao
5/13/2022 10:37:49 pm
Amazing how a natural beauty of a bird woven into mythological folklore is accorded divine qualities. A genuine love to learn is converted through compassion into a beautiful experience!
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Dr Raguram
5/13/2022 10:51:46 pm
Often these legends embelish the experience Ravi!
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Madhu
5/13/2022 10:41:49 pm
Beautiful photo accompanied by a lovely write up.
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Dr Raguram
5/13/2022 10:52:02 pm
Thanks!
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Annie John
5/13/2022 10:53:17 pm
That's a lovely story. I remember seeing this bird and I've got a photograph even. But I'm pretty sure I saw it in Binsar. Could I be mistaken?
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Dr Raguram
5/14/2022 12:23:33 am
Most unlikely...unless someone has released it from a cage...used to be a popular cage bird at sometime for its call
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Arun Kishore
5/13/2022 10:53:30 pm
I remember hearing one long ago in Athirapalli. The memory remains though faint. Thank you for reawakening that distant beautiful event with a lovely story of its mythical origins.
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Dr Raguram
5/14/2022 12:24:17 am
That entire stretch of forest leading onto Pollachi is a treasure!
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narayan t v
5/14/2022 05:07:27 am
I enjoyed the write up Doc, as I’ve enjoyed listening to the Whistling schoolboy along with my boys in Munnar and Coorg on several occasions. The Krishna story is particularly enthralling
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Sathya
5/14/2022 07:21:49 am
Thanks for sharing Dr. Your lovely pics and wonderful anecdotes often remind me Bharathidasan’s lines:
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Dr Shripathy M Bhat
5/15/2022 01:12:44 am
Marvelous as usual, both, the bird and the write up narrating the nature and the mythological backdrop. Enjoyed watching & reading.
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Nalini. N. R.
5/15/2022 05:34:46 am
Sir, thanks for the wonderful photograph and narration. If melodious call gives a sense of security to the tribes, it is a soothing song for our ears who are in the midst of cacophony!!!
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Nandini Murali
5/17/2022 07:12:29 pm
A beautiful piece! Made me nostalgic about hearing this cheeky schoolboy songster at the Silent Valley! The gorgeous legend of this avian stunner reminded me of the Native American legend of the Rainbow Crow! Both stories are healing and transformative!
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Dr Raguram
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