No sooner does winter begin than the bird begins its sojourn from the snow-capped Himalayas and finds a temporary abode in the plains. It’s a black bird, gregarious and closely resembling a sparrow. One male and 10 to 12 females generally constitute a flock. She is smaller than the Dhobin, another small bird known as wagtail or washerwoman bird. The appearance of both male and female is similar. They are fond of insects, love to roam around, preen themselves and take pride in their beauty. They are friendly by nature and are therefore known as saheli or friends.
Saheli doesn’t prefer a fixed abode and keeps flying from one tree to another. This is her lifestyle and this is her social culture. She is a migratory bird, and yet enjoys immense popularity wherever she goes. Sahelis make us feel as though they are our own birds, our very special guests. When they depart with the onset of spring, our homes, courtyards, riverbanks, gardens all seem sad, empty and deserted.
In cities that are fortunate enough to have rivers, one can see white Siberian birds, either cranes or storks. Bird lovers hire boats and feed them gram flour sev (noodle shaped fried snack), and the birds eat it with great relish. It gives great pleasure to see the birds coming from distant countries eating an Indian snack. However, it’s important to find out whether it is harmful for them or not.
