Avian Intelligence (AI):
Nothing Artificial About This Nest!
An Impressive Jugaad
Pruning the
dead twigs and leaves of the potted plants on my terrace garden, I was about to
clip a dead giloy (guduchi) leaf when I noticed that it wasn’t just a dead
leaf, but the improvised fencing wall to protect a nest that a little bird had
fabricated, and laid an egg.
Sunbird,
possibly, for there are many in our little garden, with the bougainvillea hedge
their perfect shelter. Gemini thinks it’s a Tailor Bird. I shared the photo
with two knowledgeable colleagues - Dr Suhas Kumar, Former PCCF, MP, and Jagdish
Jatiya, IAS (Retd) to identify the egg and the bird.
Ashy Prinia (Saleti
Phudki)
Both
identified the bird as Ashy Prinia, a small tropical bird seen easily in and
around Bhopal. It’s called Phutki
(फुत्की) or Saleti Phudki (सिलेटी फुदकी) in Hindi, Phutki in Odia, and Purallika (पुरल्लिका) in Sanskrit.
The female
bird weaves a pouch shaped nest, lays eggs, and both the male and the female
take turns to hatch the eggs.
One, Two & Four!
On Day 1, I had
found a solitary egg, on Day 2, one more, and on Day 4, a total of four eggs – with
rich, warm reddish-brown hue – smooth and glistening like polished garnet.
Is she done,
or will there be more? Tomorrow, I’ll check discretely, taking care to visit
the spot when the parents have gone foraging for food.
Rain, Rain, Cause No Pain!
Today, there
are intermittent showers since morning. I’m worried. Would the mild chill ruin
the eggs? I hope not. If she lays eggs during monsoon, nature may have provisioned
for that, I guess.
What’s
special about this little nest? Birds make nests and lay eggs. Ants also stich
leaves to make a secure, waterproof nest on trees.
An Engineering Marvel
Many aspects
of the nest amaze me. To begin with, the site-selection is perfect. I visit the
terrace garden daily, and a gardener comes twice a week, but this little nest had
gone unnoticed. Perfect camouflage. No chance for any kite or any egg-stealing
bird or the cats or reptiles to spot and cause damage.
The little
bird never went to an engineering college. How then did she know that the wind-flow
at Bhopal is mostly from west to east, that the dead leaf and nest would
withstand the average wind velocity during the monsoon, and even the lashing
rains would keep her egg safe? How about structural safety? How did she
calculate the dry and the wet weight of the nest along with herself and the birdlings,
and was confident that the dead leaf and the little stem would not buckle in?
Maybe, she had also spotted plenty of little insects for her babies to feed
upon during their infancy. Should there be an unforeseen disaster, and the nest
topple from the plant, there would be a soft landing on the pot just a foot
below the nest; eggs and the babies when born would be safe. Insurance for
contingency!
Birds have Brains!
Folks who call
some people bird-brained know little about birds - their amazing engineering
and survival skill, and their sparkling intelligence.
In my
earlier blog - https://www.pkdash.in/2023/03/avian-intelligence-ai-nothing.html
- I marvelled at the Arctic tern’s
million‑kilometre journeys and the mythical wisdom of Garuda and Jatayu. Today,
standing on my terrace, I see the same intelligence at work in the Ashy
Prinia’s fragile nest stitched to a dead leaf.
Whether in
epic battles, long migrations, or the quiet engineering of a monsoon‑proof
cradle, birds remind us that their so‑called “birdbrains” hold a wisdom we too
often overlook.
Their nests
are not just shelters, but crafted with intelligence and foresight, building functional
structures with locally available material — a reminder that avian intelligence
is profoundly natural, and always around us if only we pause to notice.
***
Fun Facts
About the Ashy Prinia (Prinia socialis):
(Source: Gemini AI)
- Tail-Wagging Master: The Ashy Prinia is almost
always flicking, twitching, or holding its long tail upright while
foraging. This energetic tail movement is one of its most recognizable
field marks!
- Architect of the Bird World: To construct its cup-shaped
nest, the bird stitches together leaves using spider silk, plant fibers,
and fine twigs—similar to a tailorbird.
- Distinctive "Snap"
Call: During
flight or when excited, it makes a sharp, distinct clicking or snapping
sound, often compared to the sound of electric sparks or cracking twigs.
- Glossy Brick-Red Eggs: Unlike many small songbirds
that lay speckled white or pale eggs, the Ashy Prinia lays glossy, dark
brick-red eggs that look almost polished.
- Upright Stance: When perched, it holds its body
surprisingly upright with its long tail tilted upwards, giving it a
jaunty, alert posture.
#AshyPrinia #BirdNests #UrbanEcology
#NatureWriting #CamouflageInNature #WildlifeIndia
#EcoStories
***
