by Adarshini Chandrakanth, Grade 11
The ‘Avian Antics’ masterclass, conducted by author and wildlife advocate Rohan Chakravarty, was a spirited session that left a strong impression on young readers and nature lovers to continue keeping their fervour for feathered beings alive.
Mr. Rohan began the session by asking the audience what birds meant to them, with most responses detailing them as “twittering little creatures full of life”. He expressed that while this was true, their roles extended beyond, as they are the masters of balance, vital in maintaining equilibrium in countless ecosystems. This made me realize the immaculate intelligence of birds and left the audience with other eloquent insights. A gem from this collection was, as one of the members put it, that “birds teach us humility and not to take all matters to heart”. They teach us to adapt to changing scenarios, break through challenges, and continue soaring in our own paths, a parallel that clicked with everyone as we often encounter this in our learning curves.
Next, Mr. Rohan traced his ornithological journey. He expressed that immersing himself in his surroundings has shaped his personality immensely, making him a much more “composed and compassionate” person. His infectious passion was apparent in the way he described being patient to hear for bird vocalizations, diligent enough to learn about their behaviours and sharply attentive to catch rare glimpses of them.
From the likes of the rather shy Indian Nightjar to the hard-working Baya Weavers, Mr. Rohan then projected highlights from his book Bird Business to exhibit the vivid personalities of avians, truly proving that they are “all uniquely charming, just like us.” The description of each species, punctuated with Mr. Rohan’s astonishingly accurate impression of bird calls, left some scanning the skies, convinced he had summoned real ones!
Soon, the discussion shifted towards why sightings of certain birds are diminishing. Zealous middle schoolers called out key factors in rapid succession ; “Radiation”, “Air Pollution”, “Loud Noises”, “Illegal poaching”, “Habitat Loss”, “Deforestation” and ”Urbanization”. For these reasons, Mr. Rohan urged our budding eco-activists to do their part by becoming more aware of their environment. He left us with the powerful message that today, it’s very easy to conform and comply with the constrictions of the digital world, but any of “your attention and time away from your gadget is a tiny revolution”.
In the end, Mr. Rohan asked the audience to sketch the Coppersmith Barbet, whose calls, as its name suggests, are very similar to the symphonies produced by artisans hammering copper. With the audience struggling to sketch with little access to reference materials, Mr. Rohan’s thoughtful activity forced us to recall the last time we saw birds in real life and reinforced the importance of staying in touch with nature, inspiring our readers to pick up birdwatching as a hobby.
All in all, the lively session was a critical reminder to gaze out of both, the windows that siphon, imprison and confine us into digital realms, as well as ones that breathe into our homes the fresh, cleansing, and liberating winds of the outside world. While you’re at it, in Mr. Rohan’s words, “join a silly act of revolution by watching birds.”
