Kiran Balakrishna

The year 2025 has been a very pleasant one thus far. So much so that I see a flurry of avian activity on the Fig tree right next to my house. It has been home to a lot of birds, insects and rodents like squirrels. The last few summers were harsh and the tree was mostly barren, dry and fruitless. But this year has seen a pleasant weather and a moderate rain, welcoming back all its residents. I'm woken up to sweet chirping sounds of these birds that have made this tree home. The sparrow had virtually disappeared from Bangalore, now they are making a comeback. Here are some animals that have made this tree home. These are the ones that i have obsereved so far.

Birds:
1) Brown-headed Barbet
2) Common Myna
3) Red-Whiskered BulBul
4) Sparrows
5) House Crow

Rodents:
1) Squirrel
2) Mice

Others:
1) Bats

The Peculiarn behaviour of the Barbets

A pair of Barbets have the fig tree next to my house, their home. They are building a nest within the tree trunk. The tree bark are rendered soft due to continuous rains. The pair of Barbets very assiduously, clear out chunks of wood to form a hollow nest within the trunk of the tree. I often see one of the birds getting a catch to feed the other or most likely there is a third offsping within an other empty trunk. Day in and Day out, they carefully clear out the tree trunk, to form a warm and cozy dwelling for themselves.