Caste Names in Taxonomy

The caste system makes its presence felt even in taxonomy, where terms such as 'Brahminy' and 'Pariah' are used to refer to superiority and ferality respectively. Surely, taxonomy can do better in this day and age, when common names are being revised to suit modern sensibilities.

The Brahminy Kite, a common coastal carnivorous, scavenging raptor, comments on the caste system in my column with The Hindu. The majestic bird is often associated with the mythological character Garuda, specially in South-east Asia countries where it is revered as a state symbol.

What's Sankranti without Kites

A Black Kite makes a humble appeal this kite-flying season. Wishing Green Humour readers a happy Sankrant/Pongal/Uttarayan.

From my column with Mid-day.

Birdwatching from a Train

A comic inspired partly by Douglas Dewar's essay 'A Naturalist in a Railway Train', and partly by true incidents, that appears in my column with Saevus magazine this month. I am sure every Indian birdwatcher who has taken a train journey will relate.

Kites of India

Every year, Sankrant or the Kite-flying festival celebrated in the month of January in India claims the lives of hundreds of birds. Kites with glass-coated strings (manjas) pose a very serious threat, most often causing fatal injuries on collision. Even if they are not coated with glass particles, kite strings often result in entanglement and related injuries, many of which cause deep wounds, deformities, starvation and death. The problem is even worse in the north-western states where populations of the critically endangered Gyps vultures reside.

So how many of you are flying the Killvus killvus this year?