Today was Vishu, the Mallu New year & harvest festival. As syrian christians we conveniently skip it, the new year for us is on first of january along with the western world.
Today Malayala Manorama - which seldom does anything but publish obituaries - identified the 'vishuppakshi' or 'the new year bird' for me.Though I have always heard it mentioned in old songs I did not realise there was a real bird called that.
So here is the 'New Year Bird of Kerala' for you, The Indian Cuckoo, to be more scientific Cuculus micropterus concretus or to be a bit more romantic 'the shortwinged Cuckoo bird'
The image is from orientalbirdimages.org.I chose it from a lot of them on google. Its a beautiful picture of a not very flamboyant bird, some how in kerala we are not really blessed with birds of flamboyant plumage like the peacock so common in arid regions of Rajasthan & Gujarat.The birds here are mostly black & grey with accents of colors like red or orange, they are built with great detail though, tiny & quick with a special head gear or tail.you really need to look at them real close to see the magic.
Today Malayala Manorama - which seldom does anything but publish obituaries - identified the 'vishuppakshi' or 'the new year bird' for me.Though I have always heard it mentioned in old songs I did not realise there was a real bird called that.
The image is from orientalbirdimages.org.I chose it from a lot of them on google. Its a beautiful picture of a not very flamboyant bird, some how in kerala we are not really blessed with birds of flamboyant plumage like the peacock so common in arid regions of Rajasthan & Gujarat.The birds here are mostly black & grey with accents of colors like red or orange, they are built with great detail though, tiny & quick with a special head gear or tail.you really need to look at them real close to see the magic.
