Birds as glues of their community
Birds are blessed with a unique ability to unite a diverse community.
Reading Nipun Prabhakar’s article “Documenting India’s Distinctive Bird Houses,” I was immensely touched by how the local Gujarati people built elaborate “chabutra” birdhouses on top of a classroom. There is a unique romance about birds and children learning together, one up in the birdhouse, one down in the shelter; one’s chirping becomes the accompaniment of the other’s reading voice. At ease with the other’s presence — this is the ideal human-animal relationship. I was at once transported back to the time when my late parrot shared a similar relationship with me during my most difficult time in lockdown in Shanghai.
Ever since she started inhabiting my balcony, my household was divided into two domains. I appreciated her company fully during lockdown, when family was the only place I could be. She could be heard twittering happily to lessen the awkward silences or arguments at family dinners while we ate dinners; if we happened to be having yogurt she would flap her wings enthusiastically for a lick. I would hold out my hand for her to climb on, each time gratified by the trust she bestowed in such a period of uncertainties. We had our plans, and she had hers; so when we were allowed outside my apartment building, I went out for reunions while she sang to the sparrows outside. Both of us were fond of the other, but neither owned the other.
The time she died was, quite coincidentally, when lockdown struck again. Lockdown is really an indication of a community mostly keeping to itself; the birdhouse that Shanghai used to be — a gathering place for kaleidoscopic cultures — collapsed. Reading Prabhakar’s article, yes, I understand perfectly why the Gujarati people scrape up money for a birdhouse, to create their little islands of serenity even determined to make it their beauty in the slum.
My parrot was buried under her favorite tree. And it became our new “birdhouse,” our new favorite detour. After the emotional earthquake of lockdown, we slowly rebuilt our own mental shelter, crumb by crumb.
Hi Medium friends. I wanted to start a special list dedicated to my parrot Dragon Claw. I hope to share all the knowledge I know of keeping and playing with a Coconut Loriki.
The start of this project is both because of reading the New York times piece and because I received a gift from a friend of mine. She let me reunite with my Paw once more, and decorated the background with flowers that share my name: Jasmine. I was very much touched, and I thought our story was worth sharing. So please follow me if you want to get some cute stories about how a parrot grew up together with her master.
