Rajarhat Kolkata- The Urban Village & Its Birds

Discover stunning birding spots of India with #Literoma senior birder Tarun.

(Wish to publish your birding experiences? Email your articles with original photos to literomainc@gmail.com. We will publish if selected.)

Nature is so beautiful, even when there is strong sun or its raining incessantly, nature still has kept some treasure for you to be delighted. On the northern side of Kolkata, the erstwhile remote rural and vast wetland, under continuous process of urbanisation has partially gained its city appearance, named New Town Rajarhat kolkata. What magical is, the dwellers of virgin times of the developing areas are still there in the patches yet to be concreted. Just reach those easy accessible grass and wetlands of Rajarhat kolkata in the early morning and listen to the music set there.

Rajarhat Kolkata

Areas like Eco Urban Village (partially), Hanuman Mandir and adjacent patches of Rajarhat kolkata are still in its original nature like marsh land, bushes, trees, fields with tall grasses are the homes of variety of birds. Some passage migrants, summer visitor birds of other different places of India reach these less disturbed habitats of their choice. You too, like me will also can meet many of them in your repeated visits for a lifetime experience.

Paddy Field Pipits and Bengal Bushlarks

As soon as you start walking by the streets on bothsides of Eco Urban Village in rajarhat kolkata, will see small pale brown coloured house sparrow like birds walking on the grasslands. Those are Paddy Field Pipits. And some birds will suddenly fly from close to your footsteps and you will be able to discover their presence then only are Bengal Bushlarks.

Zitting Cisticola

A continuous tik-tik call and flying display over your head indicates presence of Zitting Cisticola a miniature 10 cm size bird is there. At the same time, some warm brown coloured birds with longer tails, around 13 cm in length, with rapid wheezy call perching at the top of the reeds in rajarhat kolkata, crops are Plain Prinia. But a heavily streaked on back rich brown coloured, around 25 cm long bird, suddenly jumping from damp side of the grass lands with a wheezy musical sound and coming back to the land repeatedly, are the Striated Grassbirds.

Plain Prinia and Striated Grassbirds

If you look farther in the long grasses, bushes and cultivations, there you can see presence of a variety of birds moving here and there with different distinctive calls. Some singularly sitting around 25 cm long, Grey rufous brown and black backed birds present are the Long-tailed Shrikes. They are widespread resident birds in rajarhat kolkata. Where as on the distant grounds a black capped, brown backed long legged bird, with bright red coloured bill and eye side, moves here and there and repeated shrill calls like ‘did he do it’ are the Red Wattled Lapwings. A widespread resident bird seen all over India, around 32-35 cm in size.

Long-tailed Shrikes and Red Wattled Lapwings

As the rain starts, the grasses grow taller and greener, wet lands extends and presence of a variety of birds make the area a real bird watching paradise. Starting from Pond Herons, light brown necked Cattle Egrets, Very long necked Purple Herons, other rare find water birds starts feeding on the marsh lands.

Pond Heron, Cattle Egret and Purple Heron

The Asian Open Bills start searching snails in the shallow waters in groups. Breeding season of Pheasant Tailed Jacana, Bronze winged Jacana and Water Cock starts and the water-bodies becomes full of calls of different birds in rajarhat kolkata. At this time, arising of breeding plumage in the male birds make them attractive e,g. long tail of Pheasant tailed Jacana, Red shield over upper bill of Water Cock are the ornamental displays. You will see some grazing birds during rainy season at Rajarhat kolkata wetland. Mostly three different birds walk on the side of the waterbodies and passes through the tall grasses of the area. One is having rufous underparts , about 22 cm in size, white throat is Ruddy-breasted Crake (17).

Asian Open Bill and Pheasant Tailed Jacana

Rajarhat Kolkata

Bronze winged Jacana and Water Cock

The other one is slight bigger, about 27 cm in size with chestnut coloured crown and nape and slaty-grey breast with red coloured bill; is Slaty-breasted Rail. Another very shy bird, walks in pairs, their male female are quite different in appearance and fantastic looking, about 25 cm in size are the Greater Painted Snipe.

Greater Painted Snipe and Cinnamon Bittern

The name really suggests their appearance. They also roam inside paddy fields. Somehow if you reach closer to the grass lands by the side of the water bodies, may suddenly a bird can fly from verymuch inside the tall grasses, totally chestnut in colour, are the Cinnamon Bitterns. A very secvretive bird, rarely comes out of the dense grasses. It enters there early in the morning and flies out just before evening. Eats mainly fishes and small crustaceans. A bit far from the marsh lands of rajarhat kolkata, if you observe inside the long reeds and tall grasses, some speedy colourful dot movements will attract your eyes.

Tricoloured Munia, Scalybreastd Munia and Red Munia

Rajarhat Kolkata

A variety of munias are there during entire rainy season and upto October end or middle of November. Tricoloured Munia, Scalybreastd Munia and Red Munias are too busy to collect grass seeds and make nest at that time. Bright yellow headed Black-breasted Weaver(24) birds are also seen on the same reeds and grasses to be busy in collecting nesting materials in rajarhat kolkata.

Black-breasted Weaver, Cotton Pigmy Goose and Little Grebe

On the distant water surfaces small sized white ducks, called Cotton Pigmy Goose and dark brown Little Grebe are also seen to be busy in dipping inside water to collect small fishes etc. Meantime you will be just surprised to note that a whole day has passed beyond your knowledge and you have been able to observe a whole lot of attractive birds just at the lap of the city itself.

As the season changes, northern chilly wind starts to flow, a total new variety of birds again fill up the place with their sweet calls and songs. In the next part we will talk about them.

Do carry a hat to protect from the sun , a telescope for clear view of the birds and a pack of bird food if you would like to feed these beautiful creations of nature.