A very rare visitor

Picture and text by T. Murugavel

One late morning, a year ago, my friend Santharaman rang up to say he had sighted a Brahminy kite – Haliastur indus – in the skies of Anna Salai. But I did not take it seriously because it had been years since a Brahminy kite was sighted in Chennai. I assumed that he must have mistaken a Black kite for a Brahminy kite. Nevertheless, he was confident. I was even more surprised when he informed me that the kite carried nesting material as well. I had no grounds to believe him. A couple of months ago he called again to say he had sighted the bird in the same area with some nesting material. This time I took him seriously and agreed to take a look.

Around 6.30 am we reached the spot and scanned the skies. Blue rock pigeons and house crows dominated the scene. As the sun ascended, a few Rose-ringed parakeets were seen. Then we saw a few Black kites. We then drove to the Ethiraj Salai as it was near the Cooum River.

We thought we might have a better chance of seeing the bird there as Brahminy kites live mainly in coastal regions, estuaries, mangroves, and wetlands, though we knew that Cooum does not support any fish. Time moved on. It was around 10 am and we returned to our original spot. We saw a pair of Shikra soaring and then there was a flock of Black kites. We waited for a few more minutes and as it was late for our breakfast, we decided to leave. It was then we saw another flock of Black kites. Using my binoculars I scanned them. Among them one bird stood out. Yes, it was a Brahminy kite. I told my friend that he was right. We both watched the bird as it flew above us and within a few seconds it flew past the road only to disappear behind the buildings. I was surprised.

It was years ago that I had last seen a Brahminy in the heart of Chennai. I remember my mother pointing out the bird and describing it to me when I was a child. She indicated its white head and chestnut body as diagnostic features and also explained its role in the Indian spiritual world. In Tamil they are called Garuda or Semparundhu. A Brahminy kite has a bright chestnut body with white head, neck, breast and upper belly. Though juveniles resemble Black kites, their rounded tail is a giveaway feature in contrast to the Black kites’ forked tail.

This species, which was a common bird in the coastal parts of Chennai, has slowly disappeared. Being feeders of fish, crabs and the like, they are partial to wetlands. Flying low over the water surface or perching on a tree they catch their prey or take away carrion. They build cluttered but compact nests, using sticks, grass and shore debris, usually in a forked branch of large trees, close to water. They restore and reuse the nest for several seasons. The reason for their disappearance from the City is not clear. May be the Adyar River or Pallikaranai Marsh do not support them any more with prey base or they do not find nesting sites in a City which has lost its large trees to skyscrapers and expansion of highways. But for whatever reason, they are now a rarity in Chennai.

Though we sighted the bird in Anna Salai, we were not able to find its nesting site. My friend sighted it again the next day. My friend Brown, a raptor trainer from the U.K. was around at the time. When I told him about the sighting of this species he said he would check. The next evening, Brown called and informed me that he had spotted the nesting site. It was remarkable news. Being a falconer, he had used his tracking skills to discover the nest. The nest was a shabby structure lined with debris like plastic covers on the terrace of Spencer’s Plaza.

I wondered how a single bird could nest and breed. If the bird had to nest, it should have its pair, I argued. We saw only one bird and we did not know whether it was a female or male. Brown speculated that the bird was a male and an aggressive one as well. He had seen it bickering with Black kites. It dominated them by involving in aerial acrobatics.

In general, Brahminy kites are belligerent and have the proven ability to snatch fish from other birds of prey. Therefore, the aggressive nature of the bird may not be an indication of its gender. However, Brown kept visiting the site to monitor its behaviour, more importantly to find if it had a pair. Our search for its mate was futile. It was a solitary bird which might be in search of a pair.

It frequented the area often and Brown said it usually roosted on the terrace of Spencer’s Plaza. It was disquieting to see a lonely bird building a nest, probably driven by its instinct, not knowing that there was none of its species in the immediate vicinity. I even wondered if it would cross breed with Black kites, though it was improbable. Nothing of that happened in the next two weeks. It was seen around the area, but was not guarding its nest. We even saw a pair of Blue Rock Pigeons inspecting the nest for their own reasons. The bird had abandoned the nest. It was also time for Brown to leave India. When he left, he requested me to keep track of the bird by visiting the spot.

I did go there three times. I sighted the bird one evening a little after five. However, my other two visits did not yield any results. I was not sure if the Brahminy kite had found some mate or for that matter if it would even show up again. Will Chennai see this magnificent raptor again in its skies? A question only nature can answer.

Please follow and like us: