(1) Shubhangi : Why is it so ? I have observed the female in almost all the species is dull in comparison with the male.
Devangi : It seems that you have keen interest in birds.
Shubhangi : Oh yes, didi. See, Mitra didi is always busy with her projects.
Will you, please, tell me more about birds ?
Devangi : It is my interest and not Mitra’s.
I will be happy to talk about birds. Mitra, will you, please, bring a book I from my bag titled ‘Birds of India’ by Salim Ali ?
1. Who has a keen interest in birds ?
Ans. Shubhangi has a keen interest in birds.
2. The female in all the species is ……………
Ans. The female in all the species is dull in comparison with the male.
3. Name the book written by Salim Ali.
Ans. Birds of India.
4. What did Shubhangi want to know from Devangi ?
Ans. Shubhangi wanted to know about birds from Devangi.
(2) Devangi : Listen, Shubhangi, there are jungle birds, water birds and birds that live near human habitats. This tailor bird is a bird of our surrounding. It stitches its nest with green leaves and fibres of trees. That’s why it is called a tailor bird.
Shubhangi : That’s great ! But why do the female and the male have different colours ? We have same colours.
Devangi : Oye chhullbul ! There are two major types of birds : birds of prey and small birds. Birds of prey hunt small birds for food.
The female bird should be dull …
1) What are the different kinds of birds ?
Ans. The different kinds of birds are jungle birds, water birds and birds that live near human habitats.
2) Which bird is a bird of our surrounding ?
Ans. The tailor bird is a bird of our surrounding.
3) The tailor bird stitches its nest ..........
Ans. The tailor bird stitches its nest with green leaves and fibres of trees.
4) How does the tailor bird get its name ?
Ans. The tailor bird stitches its nest with green leaves and fibres of trees and so it is called a tailor bird.
5) Name the two major types of birds.
Ans. The two major types of birds are : birds of prey and small birds.
6) What do the birds of prey do ?
Ans. The birds of prey hunt small birds for food.
7) Why is the female bird dull in colour ?
Ans. The female bird is dull in colour so that it can hide itself from hunters as it is supposed to continue generations.
(3) Devangi : Birding is my passion, Mitra. Look, Shubhangi ! Here is a picture of a tailor bird’s nest.
Shubhangi : Wow ! It’s cool.
Devangi : Let’s talk about another interesting bird. Look this is the Indian Grey Hornbill. This bird is common in the Indian subcontinent. It has grey feathers all over the body with light grey and dull belly.
Shubhangi : Yup didi, Where does it live ?
Devangi : Its habitat is both in the wild as well as urban areas, especially large trees.
1) What is Devangi passionate about ?
Ans. Devangi is passionate about birding.
2) Where is the Indian Grey Hornbill usually found ?
Ans. The Indian Grey Hornbill is usually found in the Indian subcontinent.
3) Describe the Grey Hornbill.
Ans. The Grey Hornbill has grey feathers all over the body with light grey and dull belly.
4) Where does the Grey Hornbill live ?
Ans. The Grey Hornbill lives in large trees in both the wild as well as urban areas.
(4) Shubhangi : Its beak is quite strange, isn’t it ?
Devangi : Yes, dear. Its beak or bill has an extra portion like a horn and that’s why it is called hornbill. One more interesting thing is that it nests in hollows of tall trees. The female enters the nest hollow and seals it by the using mud-pellets supplied by the male. The male takes care of the female and its new-born chicks. It supplies food to the female and chicks.
Shubhangi : What a caring dude !
Devangi : Such a difficult task to feed the whole family ! For the whole day, it has to collect food. For its caring behaviour for female, it is called vahu ghelo in some areas of our state, meaning one who takes extra care of his wife.
1) How does the hornbill get its name ?
Ans. The hornbill’s beak or bill has an extra portion like a horn and so it is called hornbill.
2) Where does the hornbill build its nest ?
Ans. The hornbill builds its nest in the hollows of tall trees.
3) What does the female hornbill do ?
Ans. The female hornbill enters the nest hollow and seals it by the using mud-pellets supplied by the male.
4) What does the male hornbill do ?
Ans. The male hornbill takes care of the female and chicks.female and its new-born chicks by supplying food to them.
5. What does Shubhangi call the male hornbill ?
Ans. Shubhangi calls the male hornbill ‘a caring dude’.
(6) Shubhangi : When I visited my friend Nazmin’s home in the Polo forest, I saw many nests of weaver birds on babool trees.
So beautiful ! How do they build their nest ?
Devangi : Look at this picture in the book.
It is a weaver bird. The bird is known as sughari in Gujarati, meaning one who builds a beautiful house. Almighty has gifted us different skills and the weaver bird is gifted with the skill of weaving its nest. Weaver birds prefer long thread-like grass leaves to build their nests.
1. Where does Nazmin live ?
Ans. Nazmin lives in the Polo forest.
2. What did Shubhangi see in the Polo forest ?
Ans. Shubhangi saw many nests of weaver birds on babool trees in the Polo forest.
3. What is the weaver bird called in Gujarati ?
Ans. The weaver bird is called sughari in Gujarati.
4. Sugahri means ……… .
Ans. Sughari means one who builds a beautiful house.
5. Which skill is the weaver bird gifted with ?
Ans. The weaver bird is gifted with the skill of weaving its nest.
6. What does the weaver bird use to weave its nest ?
Ans. The weaver bird uses long thread-like grass leaves to build its nest.
(7) Shubhangi : Didi, who builds a nest, the male bird or the female bird ?
Devangi : Male weaver birds build nests.
It takes nearly 18 days to complete nest building. When the nest is half completed, the male invites the female for pairing by its song. If she accepts the nest, both of them finish the nest. If she doesn’t, the nest is abandoned.
Shubhangi : Then it must be very difficult for the male to build more than one nest.
Devangi : Yes, absolutely right. A male often makes many nests during the nesting season.
1. Who builds the weaver bird’s nest ?
Ans. A male weaver bird builds its nest.
2. How long does it take to complete the nest ?
Ans. It takes nearly 18 days to complete the nest.
3. What does the male do when the nest is half-completed ?
Ans. When the nest is half completed, the male invites the female for pairing by its song.
4. If the female weaver bird accepts the nest, ………
Ans. If the female weaver bird accepts the nest, both of them complete the nest.
5. What happens if the female weaver bird does not accept the nest ?
Ans. If the female weaver bird does not accept the nest, it is abandoned.
6. A male often makes ……… .
Ans. A male often makes many nests during the nesting season.
(8) Devangi : Shubhangi, the birds are not only our friends, but they also help us in many ways. You know the vulture. Generally people do not like vultures as they eat carcasses or dead animals. But they are called scavengers as they clean our surrounding by eating the rotten dead bodies.
Observe its beak in the picture.
It is designed to tear the flesh from dead bodies.
Shubhangi : Yes, the curve of the beak is very sharp. Didi, I have not seen any vulture soaring in the sky for last so many months. What is the reason ?
Devangi : At present people use medicine to cure sick cattle. When that cattle dies, vulture eats its body. Diclofenac is very harmful for the vulture. After eating such flesh, it slowly dies within a few days. Nearly 97% of vulture population is lost.
1. People do not like vultures because ………….
Ans. People do not like vultures because they eat carcasses or dead animals.
2. Why are vultures called scavengers ?
Ans. Vultures are called scavengers because they clean our surrounding by eating the rotten dead bodies.
3. The beak of the vulture ………….
Ans. The beak of the vulture is designed to tear the flesh from dead bodies.
4. Why are vultures not seen in the sky ?
Ans. People use a medicine called diclofenac to cure sick cattle and when these cattle die, the vultures feed on them and die within a few days as diclofenac is very harmful to them.
