Sukumar and his avian friends
Despite being rich in birdlife, habitat destruction is looming over the country's avian species.
But a house in Barguna's Amtali municipality is fighting that threat. The place is always abuzz with the chirping of various birds, including heron, pankauri (pelican), sparrow and common myna.
Apart from birds, bats are a special attraction of this place.
There is a pond right next to the yard of the house. By the pond stands a huge rain tree that hosts bats and thousands of birds from different species. Complementing it are karai, chambal, hijol, borun and various other trees, which attract birds from nearby places.
They fly over the house day in and day out, sit in the yard, and often get inside the residence, for food, safety and maybe a little bit of affection.
Sukumar Howladar, the owner of the house, uses makeshift bird feeders and bird baths to feed his feathered friends who visit his residence.
Besides, he has planted small trees inside his home and the yard for the birds.
The fish cultivated in the pond next to the house is only exclusive to Sukumar's guests, as he doesn't use it for any other purposes.
In an environment where birds are getting hunted down left and right or just disappearing due to unsuitable living conditions, Shukumar has built up a "House of Birds" where his feathered friends live without fear.
HOW IT ALL STARTED
"In 2010, a few bats first came and lived in the tall rain tree of the house," he said.
The number gradually increased. By the end of the year, it stood at several thousands, claimed locals.
Along with bats, many species of birds started coming to the trees near Sukumar's pond. The number of these guests increased every year because of the host's love and resilience for birds, they added.
"Then I started cultivating fish in my pond to feed them," Sukumar added.
Sukumar said his family members wanted to cut trees in front of his house to build a multi-storied building. But his strong resistance stopped it from happening, meaning the bird sanctuary was protected.
VISITING THE HOUSE
This correspondent visited the house on a Friday morning.
The house is a two-storied one, with the curved architectural design giving it a unique look.
Surrounding it are large and small trees. Bats were seen hanging from them. This correspondent saw rows of pankauri and heron nests on the branches of the rain tree. Some of these nests housed hatchlings.
Birds and bats were flying here and there to collect food for their kids. Some of them dived into the pond to bring fish for their babies. The sheer presence of birds like heron turned the green leaves of the rain tree white.
Dhiraj Biswas, a neighbour, said, "Sukumar has built a shelter for birds in his house. Seeing his love for birds, we also started supporting him in this endeavour. No one can hunt birds in our area."
EXPERTS' TAKE
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Agricultural University's bird and wildlife breeding expert Prof Anam Aminur Rahman said heron and pankauri live in groups together in high tree trunks.
Their main diet consists of fish, insects, and spiders.
Saying that a green and quiet environment is preferred for birds, the professor added, "What Sukumar has done for birds is undoubtedly an inspiration. If everyone has the same mentality, the environmental balance will be preserved."
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