Hidden migration of tiny songbirds from Siberian Tundra

The mention of bird migration immediately conjures up images of ducks and geese forming the V-shaped skeins across the autumn sky, along with a host of other waterfowls and waders. These large, conspicuous birds are eagerly awaited, heralding the changing season. However, a parallel migration goes largely unnoticed. At the same time as these large waterfowls traverse the sky, tiny non-descript songbirds make an equally arduous journey of more than 6,000 km from their breeding grounds in the Siberian Tundra to the northern plains of India. Both groups use the same Central Asian Flyway, yet their experiences are starkly different.

While ducks and geese fly at high altitudes to avoid predators and other vagaries of nature, small songbirds fly at low altitudes, usually under 2,000 m above the sea level. Their route winds through countries like China, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan and the Himalayan foothills, using the valleys and forests to enter India, and spread out throughout the northern plains.

Most migrating birds lose their vibrant breeding plumage before embarking on this annual journey. They arrive in their wintering grounds bearing a dull visage. While helping them to blend into their surroundings, their earthy plumage also renders them easy to overlook. The perseverance of these little heroes often goes unheralded.

Chandigarh is uniquely positioned to welcome these birds with its mix of diverse habitats — forests, riverine tracts, grasslands, wetlands, agricultural fields, gardens and parks.  The Taiga Flycatcher, the Bluethroat and the

Rubythroat are striking examples of these inconspicuous yet fascinating migrants. They are ‘robin-like’ in appearance — small in size, with cocked-up tails and wings drooping down the sides.

The Taiga Flycatcher prefers dense vegetation. It adjusts its migratory route to stay close to forested areas and natural cover flying up to 300 km daily. This small bird finds refuge in the lush gardens and parks of Chandigarh. Its predominantly brown plumage is punctuated by the bright orange patch on its throat, almost like a human thumbprint. With bright inquisitive eyes, this bird spends much of its time perched on the lower branches of a tree, surveying its surroundings. Its stationary, almost meditative, appearance can galvanise into sudden action at the sight of a moth or some innocent bug fluttering nearby. It dives to the ground to grab its prey, revealing the white edges to its tail before returning to its perch. Unlike the Taiga Flycatcher, the Bluethroat is a bird of the marshes and wetlands, skulking in reeds and bushes encircling water bodies. During its breeding season in the Tundra, this bird builds its nest on the ground in shrubby areas.

The Bluethroat is a shy bird, which is often out of sight while it forages in the thick reeds. In birding parlance, it is deemed a skulker!

The Bluethroat is well known for its skill in mimicry. In Norway, this talent has earned it the sobriquet of ‘Nightingale of the North’. It is capable of mimicking more than 50 different species of birds! At first glance, the Bluethroat appears as another ‘little brown bird’, but a closer look reveals a spectacular blue patch at its throat, adorned with a rust-coloured spot in the centre. During courtship display, it puffs out the throat feathers, revealing the beautifully hypnotic circle. This vibrant patch, coupled with the bird’s special ability at mimicry, is enough to attract mates. The Bluethroat also communicates through frequent tail flicks, revealing orange tail patches that serve as alarm signals.

Common names of birds are usually descriptive and the Siberian Rubythroat is no exception. The ruby-red teardrop at its throat glows against its otherwise greyish-brown plumage. This small secretive bird is often hard to spot, preferring to hide in dense shrubs and vegetation, its presence revealed only when it flashes the red patch.

During the breeding season, the melodious song and fluttering dance display of the Rubythroat is spectacular. Its ability to mimic other birds shows a degree of vocal versatility. However, in its wintering habitat around Chandigarh, it is silent and its occasional appearance in the thickets adds a touch of mystery.

While these God’s little creatures brighten up our winter landscape, we are oblivious to the incredible dangers and hardships the migratory birds face. Crossing vast landscapes and navigating diverse ecosystems pose significant challenges. En route, the migrating birds rely on stopover habitats to rest and recuperate. These sites are critical in providing food and shelter to enable the birds to continue their journeys.

Climate change, habitat loss and violent human conflict along the Central Asian Flyway can disrupt migration patterns. Conservation of stopover habitats, thus, becomes a global responsibility to ensure the survival of these delicate, yet tenacious, travellers.

— The writer is president of       the Chandigarh Bird Club