Vadodara: A sight that has been missed Sparrow lover thrilled, a Shaheen Baaz Seen flying at 182m high Statue of Unity (SOU) in the spring.
Bird – a non-migratory subspecies of the peregrine falcon, of the world fastest bird It has been seen sitting on the statue in the last few weeks, leading to speculation that it is nesting on the tallest statue in the world.
Karthik Upadhyay, a bird-watcher from Vadodara said, “During my visit to the SOU a few weeks ago, I was looking at the idol when my eyes caught the bird. Usually, the SOU is frequented by pigeons, Those who are known to sit on tall statues or tall buildings, but this bird looked different so I captured it on my camera.
“I was shocked to see that it was Shaheen Baaz. It kept flying around and then sat on one of the vents of the idol. The bird has been spotted several times around the idol and may be trying to make a nest there,” Upadhyay told TOI. He said it is rare for a bird to build its nest on a man-made structure.
“It usually nests in the mountains and spends most of the time on top of trees amidst the natural environment. The movements of birds in the SOU will have to be closely monitored.”
Shaheen falcon is seen in many areas of Gujarat but mainly in Girnar hills, Pavagadh and Jessore hills.
According to an article by ornithologist Devvratsinh Mori in the journal Flamingo, the black shahin (Falco peregrinus peregrinator) is a subspecies of the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). The name Shaheen (sometimes spelled ‘Shahin’) is derived from Persian, shah for ‘king’ and ein ‘birds’, thus meaning ‘king of birds’. It is known as the Black Shaheen, Indian Peregrine, Shaheen Falcon or just Shaheen.
Upadhyay, who has been documenting birds in the state for years, said the presence of falcons on the SOU could keep pigeons away and reduce the problem of droppings that stain the grand statue.
Bird – a non-migratory subspecies of the peregrine falcon, of the world fastest bird It has been seen sitting on the statue in the last few weeks, leading to speculation that it is nesting on the tallest statue in the world.
Karthik Upadhyay, a bird-watcher from Vadodara said, “During my visit to the SOU a few weeks ago, I was looking at the idol when my eyes caught the bird. Usually, the SOU is frequented by pigeons, Those who are known to sit on tall statues or tall buildings, but this bird looked different so I captured it on my camera.
“I was shocked to see that it was Shaheen Baaz. It kept flying around and then sat on one of the vents of the idol. The bird has been spotted several times around the idol and may be trying to make a nest there,” Upadhyay told TOI. He said it is rare for a bird to build its nest on a man-made structure.
“It usually nests in the mountains and spends most of the time on top of trees amidst the natural environment. The movements of birds in the SOU will have to be closely monitored.”
Shaheen falcon is seen in many areas of Gujarat but mainly in Girnar hills, Pavagadh and Jessore hills.
According to an article by ornithologist Devvratsinh Mori in the journal Flamingo, the black shahin (Falco peregrinus peregrinator) is a subspecies of the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus). The name Shaheen (sometimes spelled ‘Shahin’) is derived from Persian, shah for ‘king’ and ein ‘birds’, thus meaning ‘king of birds’. It is known as the Black Shaheen, Indian Peregrine, Shaheen Falcon or just Shaheen.
Upadhyay, who has been documenting birds in the state for years, said the presence of falcons on the SOU could keep pigeons away and reduce the problem of droppings that stain the grand statue.
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