Nature Quest: The brown beauty
"Hurry up, you are going to get left behind!" The source of the voice vanished behind the uncountable humongous green grasses. They were even enclosing the path, as if the whole ecosystem had consciousness, strictly controlling the permeability of the way. I stopped for a moment and assessed the situation; my vision was obscured by the grasses taller than me! Only our heads jutted out from the greenery that engulfed us. It was hot and humid. Hot on a level where I could literally see the heat haze. Sweat covered my entire face and my polo shirt, which was glued to my back.
I chased through the grass on an uneven ground, constantly wiping my face and keeping balance, and finally reunited with the crew. I was fortunate to join a team of ornithologists who were looking for a bird that lives in the grasslands along our large rivers. That day we went to investigate a grassy Char (island) near Mawa Ferry Ghat, Dhaka.
I reunited with my team. I tried to see their condition through my sweat-filled vision. All of their bodies were drenched in perspiration, yet they had an odd smile of anticipation on each of their tired muddy faces. Yes, they were not complaining as much as I was. Their tiredness was overwhelmed by the excitement and joy of seeing the globally vulnerable Bristled Grassbird. We travelled this far, both on land and water, to do a population census on a small migratory bird, which was thought to be extinct in our country for around 100 years.
Bristled Grassbird is a brown, majestic yet small, bird (around 20cm) with a short bill and a unique display call. The researchers choose the hot and humid month of May to conduct the survey since the birds are most active during the breeding season between March and June.
We did both habitat study and population census using playback method, on specific points along the lower Padma river. Our methods included going to the predetermined points, counting and identifying different grass species, after which we would wait and count the amount of grassbirds flying or coming nearby us. At some points sightings were as high as 3, while on other points, there were none.
At the end of the day, I realised that conservation science is not as simple and thrilling as they portray it on social media and the hardship is often overlooked. The true essence and reason why there are so many people around the globe devotedly working in this sector is the liberating sensation of doing some good to a rapidly degrading planet. An accurate example would be the loss of grassland from our country to the extent that the birds have nowhere else but the riverbank grasslands (chars) to find their last refuge.
Jaber Rei is a student of environmental science at IUB
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