Koel

The Koel (Marathi: Kokila) is very common throughout the country. The male is dark shiny black with red-colored eyes. Female is dark grey, with white spots. 

The male has a pleasant call and becomes active during the spring time (March-April). It does not build its own nests, but lays eggs in the nest of the common crow.

Eating habits and Natural Food Chains

From the 28^th of this month begins Navaratri, a nine-day period which is celebrated to mark nine days of battle between the Goddess, Durga Maa (mother) and demon, Mahishashur. Finally, on Dashami (tenth day), the Goddess vanquished the demon. This day is celebrated as Dassera or Vijayadashami (victorious tenth day), a day when good triumphs over evil. During these nine days, the devout observe a fast and abstain from non-vegetarian food and alcohol.

We all have choices when it comes to our eating habits. Some prefer vegetarian, while others cannot do without non-vegetarian food. The practice of non-vegetarianism is acceptable, as long as such a practice does not disturb the natural food chain. When humans disturb the food chain (a complicated network involving food transfer), we contribute to the destruction of the creatures dependent on it.

To understand how this is can happen, one needs to know what is a food chain and its influence on the working of an ecosystem. Consider the food chain in a terrestrial (land) ecosystem; the green plants form the basis of any food chain. They are the primary producers in any ecosystem. In presence of solar radiation, the chlororphyll in green plants converts atmospheric carbon dioxide and dissolved solids (nitrates and phosphates) from the soil, into energy in the form of organic compounds. This energy is used in the growth of the plants and a resultant increase in their biomass. Green plants are consumed by herbivorous animals, which in turn form the food for carnivores. This forms one of the various food chains in the natural environment. Another example is the chain of insects, frogs, snakes and birds of prey (hawks, eagles). Yet another food chain can comprise of insects/grasshoppers and birds.  In all these food chains, green plants form the base of the chain. Each level of the chain is termed the trophic level, from where energy is transferred to the next level. A basic characteristic of the chain is that at each trophic level, there is a rapid decrease in energy, ie., energy transferred progressively decreases from the primary producers to the top carnivores.

In a natural ecosystem, each trophic level is inter-related to one another. When one of the trophic levels is disturbed, it affects the entire chain. Humans can fit into the food chain at different levels and often are the top carnivores. But, we tend to disturb the food chain by interfering with it at different levels. As cited in the earlier post on Tourism, when constituents of one of the trophic levels is hunted for food, it leads to a shortage of food for the next level dependent on it and may ultimately lead to its extinction.  

Today, the effects of human interference on the natural food chain are seen in the gradual reduction in the number of top carnivores such as leopards and tigers. When we demand and consume exotic meat, like quail/partridge or rabbits/hare, deer or wild boar, we not only infringe on the natural environment and the balance which exits in the food chain, we also breach the wildlife laws. In conclusion, whatever our eating preferences, just remember that non-vegetarianism is not the best means of conversion of energy. Vegetarian food is entirely capable of meeting all our nutritional requirements. If you prefer to continue with non-veg food, kindly ensure that it is specifically bred for human consumption (poultry, mutton, beef) and has not been hunted down.