In ancient India, the Brahmanas were a common sight. Even when the Europeans invaded that country, there were Brahmanas who were dressed in a
reddish-brown
cloth wrapped around their bodies. The European invaders fought to
capture these areas; no sooner things got settled, they started
observing the strange new world they had stepped into. They first found
the Brahmanas who were meditating in the jungles dressed in
reddish-brown clothes. Then came the ornithologists; almost all of them
were nature enthusiasts, even military officers and administrators
would spend their time looking at the sky during their leisure times.
It didn’t take long for these ornithologists to note the reddish-brown
patches that soared high in the sky.Beautiful raptors
Observing more closely, they realized these to be beautiful raptors, with colourful wings, similar in colour to the reddish-brown clothes of the Brahamanas. Legend has it, that it led to this bird of prey being named the Brahaminy Kite. Another theory says that this bird is being treated as a sacred symbol by the Brahmin cast of India, and hence it was named Brahminy Kite.
However, the Brahminy Kite is also considered a contemporary representation of Garuda which is a sacred mythical bird in Hindu legend. Hindus believe Garuda is the vehicle of God Vishnu, and is depicted as having a golden body of a strong man, a white face, red wings, and an eagle’s beak -- complete with a crown on its head which are most of the characteristics of the Brahminy Kite. The Garuda, the ancient deity, is said to be a massive bird that is even large enough to block out the sun.
No
matter how the bird got its name, Brahminy Kite is a beautiful bird
which has a distinctive and contrastingly coloured reddish-brown or
chestnut coloured plumage, a white head and breast, with black wing
tips. The juveniles are brownier when young, but acquire the normal
coloration no sooner they reach adulthood.Brahminy Kite is a master of adaptation that has managed to adjust to the changes in the environment and survived even in busy populated cities such as Colombo. Today, Brahminy Kite is the only medium sized raptor one can observe in the city of Colombo. Its secret also lies in its feeding habit being primarily a hunter; but it can also survive by scavenging and birds commonly found in large numbers, in mass waste dumping sites.
Brahminy in the Zoo
Right - you can see them in the sky flying at a distance. “But where can I see a Brahminy Kite closer... or where will I get a chance to go so close and touch one of these majestic birds..?” you may ruminate. Without any hesitation, ZooLander recommends that you visit the Dehiwala Zoo to have a closer encounter with the Brahminy Kite...
The Brahminy Kite enclosure is located at a far corner of the Zoo. There are a couple of Brahminy Kite pairs in this cage and their unmistakable scream -kweeaa or kyeeer, when active, can be heard at a distance.
Kids’ Corner
But at the zoo you can also have a more intimate encounter with a Brahminy kite, if you visited on a week day or on a Saturday, the ‘Kids’ Corner’. In the zoo, have you noticed that there is an area dedicated to children..? Known as ‘Kids’ Corner’ this is where some of the tamed animals are taken out and allowed to interact with children, under the guidance of members of the Young Zoologists’ Association. A Brahminy Kite too is also often taken out to this open area in the Kids’ Corner allowing the Zoo visitors and especially kids to have a one on one encounter with the beautiful raptor. Some of the brave kids also dare to touch the eagle and a gentle touch without hurting the bird is allowed. But remember, touching overly can amount to harassment; everyone is advised to careful not be a nuisance to this cute Brahminy Kite.
Brahminy Kites are not saints as their names denote, as they actively hunt for prey. They hunt small prey such as fish, crabs, frogs from water and rodents (mouse, squirrels), reptiles on land etc. Scanning and hunting for food using their eagle eyes, the Brahminy Kites forage both over water and land, soaring 20-50m above the surface. When they spot prey, they descend fast and snatch the prey using their sharp talons. Brahminy Kites don’t dive into the water, but can skilfully pick the fish that come onto the surface unaware of the danger lurking in the sky. They eat their food on the wings. However, in the zoo they do not need to kill animals as they get a free meal everyday. Brahminy Kites in the zoo are usually given a fish diet.
Major scavenger in the city
However, as mentioned earlier, the Brahminy Kite is also a major scavenger in the city, garbage dumps being their favourite ‘restaurants’, a habit which has helped them survive even in populated areas. In Colombo, too, you can find a number of Brahminy Kites near garbage dumps. Sometimes over 30 Brahminy Kites can be seen hovering above, looking down to pick carrion or an unwary mouse that comes to feed on the dump. In natural areas, it is said that the Brahminy prefer mud flats.
Brahminy Kites are also aerial acrobats, mate on or near the nest, its breeding season in South Asia being from December to April. The Brahminy Kites build bowl shaped nests, usually on top of large trees. Both parents take part in nest building, using small branches and sticks, lining the nest with leaves. They like to build the nests closer to a good food source, such as a water body where they can catch fish in abundance to feed the young -- or a good dumping ground where they can scavenge easily. Brahminy Kite eggs are dull white or bluish-white and are oval shaped. Brahminy mothers often lay a clutch of two eggs. The mother Kite has to incubate these eggs for about a month and both parents take part in feeding the hungry fledglings.
Juvenile Brahminy Kites have a different plumage often displaying a uniformly dark brown plumage, white parts streaked with buff. In flight a pale patch at base of primaries is seen and it is difficult to distinguish these juveniles, from the Black Kites (which have square tails) and immature White-bellied Fish Eagles.
Brahminy Kites are found in many parts of the world including the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia. Known as Elang Bondol in Indonesia, the Brahminy Kite is also the official mascot of its capital city, Jakarta. In Australia, the Brahminy Kite is identified as Red-backed Sea-eagle, perhaps because they are not familiar with Brahmanas and do not associate the colour similarities.
Brahminy Kite is not a threatened bird species; however their populations are declining in some areas. It is their adaptability to city life which gives them a lifeline and helps in their survival. At your next visit to the Zoo, take a closer look at the Brahminy Kites.
Published on LakbimaNews on 11.03.2012
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