I found a beautiful little book in our Official Publications Indian paper collection
called "Bird friends and foes of the farmer."
The author a Mr P. Susainathan has devoted years to the
observation of bird life. In the preface
it states ”It is unnecessary to
emphasize the extent to which birds affect all those engaged in farming : but
apart from their importance to the agriculturist in this respect they are of
absorbing interest in themselves. We all
need recreation of some kind”
I particularly like the Shrikes or Butcher-birds. This bird
impales its prey on acacia and cactus thorns before commencing to make a meal
of it. This bird is beneficial to the
farmer!
Another bird is the Hoopoes which like rubbish heaps and
termite mounds! The call of this bird
resembles the sound “Hoop-hoop” repeatedly.
This bird should be encouraged and protected as its love of eating
insects helps to reduce the dreaded mosquito.
A bird which is also
useful to the farmer and people is the vulture, in particular the smaller White Scavenger Vulture
which is a foul feeder on human excreta and dead animals. This bird should be
encouraged in towns and villages.
However, the parrot family includes a number of bird-pests to
agriculture which are a constant menace to standing crops!
This little book full of information and illustrations can
be found at IP/25/AD.1.
