I would never want to turn back to recall my last few months, how life drastically changed its face towards me and my family. For so long, life was pretty satisfying. I was occupied with my own stuff; life was healthy and peaceful.
life was beautiful
After few painful months of illness and suffering, I lost my husband on the 24th of May 2021. Due to the pandemic, we had to seek treatment at an hospital, who eyed the potential profit from my husband’s illness. They drained my savings along with the hope of bringing him back alive. They charged unreasonable charges, then put him along with covid patients in the ICU. They didn’t care; they fed him unnecessary medicines and didn’t do the required emergency treatments. If we questioned their intentions, we were harshly yelled at and ignored. Each doubt we raised made them threaten to delay his meds. We suffered financially, emotionally and physically.
All alone, I stood there, day and night to observe them silently. The last few months have showed that death during this pandemic can be the loneliest of affairs. Family members and friends stayed away, using the excuse of lock downs and fear of contagion.
When he died, my son and I collected the body and performed the final rites at the cremation ground, helpless and alone. Only one friend came to console me and send help to my daughter, who was alone at home. My nephew traveled during the rainy night to help us take care of ourselves. The next day, we had to pick up the ashes. All alone. None of his blood related family turned up.
The lockdown has changed the way we mourn. Not being able to cope with grief is likely to leave a deep impact on our psyche. Packed, highly charged ambulances, queued dead bodies, rushed farewells, unreasonable charges and desperate cries at the unexpected deaths were the norm at crematoriums. For most of the families, death in the time of the coronavirus compounds a time of great tragedy. In normal times, death was rarely quiet. Everyone visited, shared grief, fondly recalled the memories, bathed the beloved, make them wear new clothes with some Gangajal in their mouth. It should have been a similar farewell to Kusumakar too.
I feel sad that the vivacious, stylish and sophisticated king that he was, Mr Kusumakar went to the crowded crematorium without his favorite colours draped on him. He was a good man, he deserved more.
Being in lockdown, the challenge of procuring, death summary, death certificate, shifting of the house, health insurance,13th day rituals left us with no time to grieve.
We are all aware about Kusumakar’s love of Mangalore, hence we decided to perform the 13th day rituals there. These emotions of gratitude, love, respect and commemoration call for a grand celebration of the 13th day after death, where the soul moves on its journey to send him to his peace.
Travel during the lockdown was not permitted, but with reason at hand, my children and I traveled to Mangalore. Every checkpoint, we were stopped and questioned. We had to show them the death certificate to proceed.
It always felt good to respect the feelings of Kusumakar and we could perform religiously the pinnda pradana karya(ritual) with the help of priest to wash off the asthi in Kumaradhara river.
My children were very closely knitted with their father, always caring and helping him. Both of them were devasted; even today, they are unable to sleep peacefully at night.
Sri Sahasra Lingeshwara Mahakali Devasthana
There’s a lot of paperwork and running around, for it is a difficult job, one that can drain you mentally. It can also be physically challenging. I don’t have the time to be sad… I have recurring nightmares, very bad dreams of being alone… watching death… Grieving the loss of my husband at a time when every aspect of life was completely upended.
The Sangam. Kumaradhara River on one side and Nethravathi River on the other. …
This lovely southeast Asian mystery bird is unique. It is the only member of its genus, Jacanidae family of wading birds that are readily identifiable by their huge feet and claws that have adapted them well to walk on floating vegetation in shallow lakes, their preferred habitat. Even though the jacanids can swim, they prefer to walk on floating vegetation.
The pheasant-tailed jacana is distinct because it has different plumages for the breeding and non-breeding seasons — unique in its taxonomic family. This individual is in non-breeding plumage. In breeding plumage, the central tail feathers grow very long, resembling a pheasant’s tail, which is how this bird got its common name. On the nape of the neck there is a patch of brilliant, gleaming gold feathers. The wings and underparts are dazzlingly white in flight in both plumages, as you can see in this photograph. Females are polyandrous and thus, they are slightly larger than the males and have brighter plumage colouring.
Photos by Anu Kusumakar Kadri
These birds are notable for the strong sharp spur on the bend of their wings. Additionally, the first flight-feather ends in a lanceolate (leaf-shaped) appendage, and the fourth and fifth flight-feathers are obviously elongated with an attenuated point. The toes are very long with long claws.
The pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) is a wader belonging to the family of jacanas, Jacanidae. The pheasant-tailed jacana species are distributed in the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, China, Japan, Taiwan and Oman. These jacana species have long legs and toes, an adaptation for the life on floating vegetation. These jacanas are monotypic species.
The pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) is the only jacana with breeding plumage. In breeding plumage it measures 40 to 60 cm in length, including its 25 to 35 cm tail. The female is slightly larger and weighs 190 to 230 grams whereas the male weighs 120 to 140 grams.
Pheasant Tailed jacanas wading in the swamps Photos by Anu Kusumakar Kadri
In breeding pheasant-tailed jacana, the body is blackish and the tail is long. The head is white with a black patch on the rear crown, which varies in size. A narrow black necklace line from the upper nape extends down to the upper breast, separating white front of the neck from the glossy golden rear neck.
The upperparts and lowerparts of pheasant-tailed jacana are blackish chocolate brown, with green or purple lustre. Except for the brown tertials, black tips of outermost secondaries and primaries and the black edges of three outer primaries, the wings are white. The tips of the outer primaries are elongated.
The tail of pheasant-tailed jacana is blackish and the two central pair of feathers are stiff, slightly down-curved and elongated. The bill is slender and is slaty-blue with yellow tip. The legs and toes are very long and are pale bluish gray. The breeding birds call is a mewing “m-e-e-ou” sound.
Pheasant tailed jacana in non breeding plumage Photos by Anu Kusumakar Kadri
In non-breeding pheasant-tailed jacana, the upperparts are pale greenish brown and the underparts are white. The crown becomes blackish, the rear neck becomes brown and the golden area is reduced to a few patches.
A brownish black line from the lore region passes through the eyes, down the sides of the neck to join on the upper breast. The non-breeding jacana tail is shorter and white with greenish brown central feathers. The legs and toes are greenish-bluish.
Origin, geographical range and distribution The pheasant-tailed jacana species are distributed in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, China, Japan, Taiwan and Oman.
Vagrant pheasant-tailed jacana have been observed in Yemen, Qatar, Afghanistan and Australia. The Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBA) of these jacana species in Bangladesh are Tanguar Haor and Panabeel.
Pheasant tailed jacanas with family Photos by Anu Kusumakar Kadri
Ecosystem and habitat These pheasant-tailed jacana species do not normally occur in forests. These species occur in altitudes from 0 to 3000 meters.
The natural ecosystems of these pheasant-tailed jacana species include wetlands like freshwater lakes, marshes, pools, ponds, swamps, peatlands and flooded grasslands.
Diet and feeding behavior The diet of these pheasant-tailed jacana species is mostly insects. Floating insects, small molluscs and probably plant seeds are their primary food. They forage by walk over the floating vegetation or by swimming.
Reproduction and breeding habits The breeding season of these pheasant-tailed jacana species is mainly in summer from March to July. The breeding season in South India coincides with the monsoon rains. In Sri Lanka, the laying season is from January.
These pheasant-tailed jacanas are polyandrous. They breed in freshwater lakes and ponds with emergent and floating vegetation. The nest is built with plant material. It may rest and float on water.
In one breeding season, a pheasant-tailed jacana female may lay up to ten clutches, to be incubated by several different males. The female pairs up and presents a clutch of 4 eggs to a male. A few days later the female pairs up with another male.
The brooding male pheasant-tailed jacana supporting itself with wings, scoops the eggs and keeps them warm between its breast and the underside of wings. If the nest is threatened by predator, rains or flood, the male may build another nest and move the eggs by carrying them one by one, wedged between the breast and bill.
Migration and movement patterns The pheasant-tailed jacana species are partially migrant birds. The northern populations (China and Himalayas) of jacana migrate southwards for wintering. They move to southern Thailand, Malay peninsula, Sumatra, southeast and northeast india and Oman. The birds in higher altitudes may move to lower altitudes in winter.
The pheasant-tailed jacana populations in Sri Lanka, Philippines, central and northwest India, Myanmar, southern Pakistan, north Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Taiwan are resident.
Post breeding, the pheasant-tailed jacana juveniles may disperse and establish in new locations within the range. They may make local movements for feeding and breeding within their range. These jacana species also move in response to floods and drought.
Pheasant tailed jacanas in breeding plumage Photos by Anu Kusumakar Kadri
Conservation and survival
The global population size of the pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) is estimated to be more than 100,000 individual birds. The overall population trend of these jacana species is considered to be decreasing. Throughout its range it is reported to be locally common. The generation length is 4.8 years. Its distribution size is about 19,700,000 sq.km.
The pheasant-tailed jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus) does not approach the thresholds for being Vulnerable, either under the range size criterion or under the population trend criterion, or under the population size criterion. The ongoing habitat destruction and habitat fragmentation are the main threats that may endanger the survival of these pheasant-tailed jacana species.
Watch this video to see the beautiful Pheasant tailed jacana in non breeding plumage.
Here’s a video of an adult in breeding plumage, slowly wading in shallow water:
Fairy Princess Pheasant tailed jacana in its Breeding plumage.
Information source: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pheasant-tailed_jacana
Many species show polymorphisms, which are often sex-related. However, there are also polymorphisms within a sex — these may be related to age or may be stable throughout their life. Which one of these depends on the function of the polymorphism.
Indian Paradise Flycatcher (Terpsiphone paradisi). Males of this species have two morphs: rufous and white. Both are with long tail streamers.
There are several hypotheses about these male morphs. *One notion is that juvenile males are rufous, and that they moult in the third year into white morph adults. The existence of intermediate form (intermediate between the two morphs)is an evidence for morph relating to age.
*Another hypothesis is that the morphs are not due to age, but instead of coexistence with each other.
*The third hypothesis is, it includes elements of the previous two, that is that juvenile males are rufous, but moult in the third year to either rufous or white.
In general
*The females are cinnamon above with a grayish throat, dirty white below, a shorter tail, and they have black eyering which makes them look dull, grey bill and grey feet. (See the photo attached)
Female Indian paradise flycatcher, Photo courtesy: Devadatha Kumar SR
*Juveniles/young males are rufous and have short tails. They have blue eye ring, the head, face, crown, crest and nape are glossy black. The throat is black ( See the photo)
Young male Indian Paradise Flycatcher. Photo courtesy: Devadatha Kumar SR
*The adult males exhibit plumage dichromatism. They are either predominantly bright RUFOUS abovementioned or predominantly WHITE. The edges of the wings and tail feathers are sometimes black. The head, face, crown, crest and nape are glossy black. The throat is black in males, the bill is black. The males have blue eye-ring, the legs are gray.
Adult Indian Paradise Flycatcher in White Morph, Rufous plumage Photo courtesy: Devadatha Kumar SR.
*Intermediates of both forms also exist. ( See the Photo)
Indian Paradise Flycatcher in Intermediate form Photo by Anu Kusumakar Kadri
*Some birds also molte from rufous into white plumage. (See it in the photo attached)
Young male turning into white Morph Photo by Anu Kusumakar Kadri
According to Summer Research Fellowship Programme of India’s Science Academies the possibility of age related polymorphism within this framework, and suggest that young birds are rufous but become white adults in the north but remain rufous in the south.
In this video you can see the polymorphisms,(different plumages) in male at different stages of its life.
Indian paradise flycatcher is a eye catching bird, which turned me into a bird watcher since 2017. My encountering these birds, and all my observations are purely from the wild and each film recording spontaneous from nature direct during 2017 – 2020 in my Sunday birding trips in outskirts of Bangalore. I have attached Photographs borrowed from Mr Devadatha Kumar SR my batch mate and guide in this article.
