Avian Intelligence (AI): Nothing Artificial About This Nest!

 

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.

Photo(09.08.26) by Blogger

Photo (10.08.26) by Blogger

Photo from Gemini

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.

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Postscript

10 Aug

At 4.30 AM today, I opened the curtains. No streetlight, it was dark, and still raining - a mild but steady drizzle. The wind was strong, the tall trees swayed, and swayed more at the intermittent gusts.

I worried for my little bird, and her tiny eggs. Checked the weather data. There had been strong showers during the night, and the wind-speed had gone up to 50 kmh during the gusts.

Did the nest survive the rain and the wind? It was still dark. I’d check later in the morning.

I went to the terrace when the drizzle abated. The bird heard my footsteps, flew out of the nest, perched on the hedge, and watched me with much suspicion. Is this animal coming to steal my eggs? She might have panicked.

Thank Heavens, the nest was unharmed!

Upon gently pulling the stem of the giloy plant without ever touching the nest, I hoped to check the eggs. But how could I, since the dry leaf now covered the nest almost like a raincoat. I took a cautious peep. All the four eggs were bright and shiny with not a drop of water on any.

My heart was filled with gratitude for the giloy plant, the gods of rain and wind, and Mother Nature for keeping Phudki’s eggs safe.

13 Aug

A sad day for the bird and the blogger. Phudki lost her nest and eggs. About 10 inches of rainfall since 8 Aug. Did Super El Nino cause heavy rainfall at Bhopal, and ruined the nest?

                                                        Photo (13.08.26) by Blogger

Not only Phudki, even the Dove who had made her nest under the steel awning on the terrace lost her eggs. A gust of wind blew away her nest and eggs.

                                                                    Photo by Blogger

16 Aug

On 13 Aug, repaired Phudki's nest. One egg was secure in the nest, another had fallen in the bushes on the pot but unbroken. The other two were missing, even the broken shells were no where to be seen. Did a predator raid the nest and steal the eggs?

With the two eggs inside, camouflaged the nest as Phudki had done hoping her to return to hatch the eggs.

No luck. 

O Phudki, why did you give up? Or did you, too, fall into the predator's jaws while asleep at night?

17 Aug

‘Nature, red in tooth and claw.’

Yesterday, I contemplated bringing indoors the nest with the remaining two eggs, and putting a little bulb near it to keep it warm.

Can I rescue the eggs, and hopefully hatch them if not already spoiled? I asked ChatGPT for guidance.

‘No,’ said C. It counted several reasons why indoor incubation won’t work. ‘Maybe, the mother or father would return to hatch. That’s the best you can hope for.’

I concurred.

Checked around noon. The eggs were there, but no sign of either parent.

Checked again at 5.30 PM. The eggs are gone. The nest is now empty.

Today is Nag Panchami.

I recalled Tennyson: ‘Nature, red in tooth and claw.’

I mourn Phudki and her four eggs.

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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

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