What goes on in the mind of a bird when it sings a melody? This fascinating question is at the heart of a unique session in Pune designed to pull children away from screens and into the enchanting world of avian sounds. The event, titled 'Birdsong Explorers,' is led by Siddharth Biniwale, a city-based naturalist and researcher specializing in avian ecology and forest restoration.
The Secret Language of Birds Begins Before Birth
Biniwale reveals that bird communication is a profound process that starts even before hatching. "A bird starts communicating right from the beginning, when they are embryos in eggs," he explains. He describes a world where subtle cues, like the heartbeat of the unborn chick, send messages to the parent. These signals can indicate, for instance, that one side of the egg is warm enough and it's time for the parent to change its position for even incubation.
A Morning of Listening and High-Tech Discovery
This special session is timed with November's Young Birder's Month, a nationwide initiative to spark ecological curiosity in children. It also serves as an extended Children's Day celebration, made even more special by the arrival of winter migratory birds at the Empress Botanical Garden, where the event will be held on Sunday.
The young participants will embark on a morning of active listening and questioning. Biniwale criticizes the modern birding trend, noting, "When people go out on birding, they are mostly looking for interesting photographs." He aims to reverse this by reawakening other senses. "The first part of the session is a bird walk, where we will go around and not just watching birds but also listening to them," he says. The children can expect to hear and see residents like the grey hornbills, the common myna, and the blue flycatcher.
The experience will be supercharged with technology rarely seen by children. They will be introduced to a shotgun microphone, a device Biniwale describes as "binoculars for sounds." This tool can pinpoint a bird's call from a specific direction while filtering out distracting background noise. The session will include hands-on recording activities and lessons in decoding the behavior behind the sounds—is it an alarm call or a feeding song?
Stories, Quizzes, and a New YouTube Channel
The learning will be reinforced with interactive elements. A quiz with multiple-choice questions will challenge the children to visualize sounds. They will also be treated to an audio journey, comparing the soundscapes of a city, a village, and a forest.
Biniwale, an engaging storyteller, will share captivating tales from the wild. He is launching a YouTube channel called 'Raan Goshti' to share such jungle stories. One story the children might hear involves a fellow birder who recorded a clever Black Drongo. "The drongo had learned to mimic the alarm call of the Red-Wattled Lapwing," Biniwale recounts. "Whenever a dog passed by, the drongo would make the lapwing's sound, and the dog would run away."
For Biniwale, this passion is personal. "As a child, I was attracted to calls, and I want to pass on the same hobby to children," he says. His ultimate goal is to make this a science-based fun activity where the next generation learns to truly listen to the natural world around them.
