Author Adhirup Ghosh
If there’s a bird family that perfectly represents the quiet thrill of birdwatching in India, it is the Parrotbills. Hi, I am Adhirup Ghosh, a birdwatcher based in Santiniketan, West Bengal, with over two decades of dedicated birdwatching experience across India. Secretive, habitat-specific and often overlooked, the Parrotbills with their stubby, parrot-like bills and soft, wispy calls inhabit the dense undergrowth of India’s Brahmaputra wetlands, bamboo thickets of the lower Himalayan foothills and high-altitude scrubs. Seeing all ten parrotbill species in India became, over time, a quiet quest—one that took me across the length and breadth of this vast, layered country.

Author Batul Pipewala
The place where I stay, Flora Fountain is a residential complex in a congested area in Kolkata. However, there are two natural ponds within it and trees like the Indian Cork Tree, the towering Kadam trees, fruit trees like Guava,Jamun and Papaya, Palm trees and even a Sundari tree at the edge of the pond. On 24th September this year, I was birding in my complex and was watching a checkered keelback snake eat a fish when suddenly I heard a lively bird call and instantly recognized it as that of the Wagtail. I quickly trained binoculars to the spot and saw a wagtail with a grey head, white eyebrows, and a bright yellow on the underside, feeding on the insects near the pond.

Sudipto Shome
Savour this – the rare Lanceolated Warblers were seen after years in one of the reed beds in Baruipur (Patch 16). The same patch is home to the indomitable King Quails, which were first sighted in another patch in Baruipur, three summers ago for the first time, which was again a record in itself, the last record being in the 1960s. The amazement doesn’t end here. Move deeper and you might stumble into a pair of shy Chestnut-eared Buntings in a vacationing mode (patch 16). And if you tread cautiously you might even get the chance for an impromptu tete-a-tete with the ghost of the marshes – the male Pied Harrier. If you are enamoured by raptors, then look up—you might even find a pair of mighty Indian Spotted Eagles floating with the clouds just above you. Jostling for air-space might be a solitary pigeon-faced Oriental Honey Buzzard, a couple of Crested Serpent Eagles with their beautifully printed underwings, and even the indomitable Changeable Hawk Eagles. During winter, a few more marsh harriers might add to your company. Last winter, for instance, a couple of Peregrine Falcons had enthralled the birdwatchers with their presence, and stories of their speed were a trending topic for a good fortnight or so. Last but not least, you also have a resident Common Kestrel, a trio of Black-winged Kites, and a few Black Kites and Black-eared Kites to add to your spirits. Undoubtedly, a bonanza for raptor lovers. In fact, the uncluttered horizon might be just apt for stargazers at night and raptor lovers during the day.