In a city like Mumbai, when your apartment is really tiny, you have to really want a pet to keep one. Space comes at a premium even though the quality of living isn’t comparable to thriving cities around the world. Roads are almost always being repaired, sidewalks are barely walkable, there’s the constant sound of cars honking and the air is polluted with dust and smoke.
Crows are the ideal Mumbai bird. Here’s why:
1. They love leftovers.
2. They fly quick and scavenge all food – they really aren’t picky. Some get lucky with fresh gathia ( a fried gram flour snack) that’s specifically strewn for them but otherwise they enjoy most contents of rotting garbage.
3. They don’t look dirty cause they’re already black
4. They enjoy traveling on the top of BEST buses and taxi roofs.
To lighten my lockdown blues, I decided to befriend Mumbai’s most ubiquitous bird and so it began.
My tiny balcony has been transformed into my window to the outside world – the sunlight, the trees, and flying birds.
Kites and bats, pigeon and parrots -soaring, hovering, diving, gliding. Of all these flying beings, the crows have been the friendliest, least timid of all.
I’ve learnt some fascinating things about these intelligent birds –
* How they’re persistent and patient.
* How they prefer meat, fish and eggs over vegetables.
* How they make their presence felt to call out for food when there’s nothing offered. A pushy and raucous caw can wake up anyone from deep slumber.
* I even saw how crows are scared of their darker, more rowdy cousins from the corvid family – the ravens but don’t give up. Once the ravens leave, the crows take their rightful position.
Leaving you with a few pictures of my lockdown pets.
BLAH-BLAH 