Our feathered friends

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Zahrah Nasir

In my encounters with gardening enthusiasts, there appears to be a huge misunderstanding about the role of birds in our gardens. To set the record straight, birds are not the enemy but are a gardener’s friend.

Undeniably, birds will devour or ruin fruit crops unless the trees/bushes are completely encased in protective netting. But the claim that birds pull grass out by its roots, thus totally destroying an established lawn, is not true.

A gardener in Multan maintains that a pair of hoopoe birds, who visit her garden regularly, has systematically decimated the lawn she had laid down, at least 12 years ago.

What this pair of beautiful birds will have been doing as they stride up and down the lawn in early morning and then evening light, is to extract and eat the fat, white larvae of chafer beetles, along with wireworms, rootworms, root maggots, etc. All of these seem to specialize in wiping out lawns while chafer beetles gobble up grass roots at an incredible rate.

The long, slightly curved bill of the hoopoe has evolved so that the bird can, after cooking its head to one side as it listens to what is going on beneath the surface of soil, pierce the soil and grab its intended prey all in one sleek maneuver.

Unfortunately, the lawn was/is so heavily infested with root-eating bugs that a single pair of hoopoes has not managed to eradicate the pests. Instead of wanting to know how to keep these birds away, the reader who submitted this question would be far better off learning how to encourage far more hoopoes — along with other assorted birds of course — to call her garden home.

Then there is the gentleman in Karachi who wants to know how to prevent hummingbirds from building — what he considers to be — unsightly, hanging nests in the bougainvillea cascading over his boundary wall.

Firstly, we do not have hummingbirds in Pakistan. What we have are beautiful purple sunbirds, whose delicately woven, hanging nests, are an architectural work of wonder to be admired rather than complained about. The number of these graceful, nectar-sipping, tiny birds is sadly dwindling in our cities and they should be encouraged, not scorned. How I wish they would build nests in my bougainvillea too.

Ring-necked parakeets, whistling and screeching while they raid your ripe papayas, shrilly argumentative shariks letting rip on your balcony, flocks of chirryaas feasting on caterpillars and aphids in the vegetable and flower beds, all have a role to play in the natural world of which home gardening is just one of many parts.

Our feathered friends deserve all the help and respect they can get if they are to survive the harshness of life in our inner cities.

Pakistani Birds to Look Out For

Hoopoe (Hudhud): This iconic bird with its striking crown of feathers and long curved beak is often seen probing lawns for grubs. Known in Islamic tradition and mentioned in the Quran, hoopoes are not only beautiful but also vital insectivores that help control pests such as beetle larvae and maggots.

Purple Sunbird: Often mistaken for hummingbirds, these nectar-loving birds play an essential role in pollination. Males shimmer with metallic blue-purple hues, while their hanging nests are architectural wonders. Urban gardens with flowers attract them easily.

Ring-necked Parakeet: With their bright green feathers and red beaks, these vocal birds are a familiar sight in many Pakistani cities. While they may raid fruit trees, they are also important seed dispersers.

Common Myna: Recognizable by its yellow eye patch and gregarious nature, the myna is often seen hopping through gardens and pecking at insects. Though sometimes invasive, it helps control bugs and small pests.

House Sparrow: Though their numbers have dwindled in urban settings due to pollution and lack of habitat, sparrows are excellent insect hunters and companions for gardeners. Encouraging native plants and providing clean water can help revive their presence.