Urban Habitats
86 Results
Bangalore University Campus: The Unsung Carbon Sink
Accessible to the public, the 1,200-acre campus with over five lakh trees is Bangalore’s unnoticed green lung
Wild Vault
Shared Spaces: On the IISER Campus in Kerala
Discovering the art of chasing wildlife on a lush 200-acre educational campus a few hours from Thiruvananthapuram
Wild Vault
Garden Wonders and Roadside Marvels
Anisha Jayadevan and Ishika Ramakrishna write about life forms found around us in the city
Book
Urban Design Planning and the Birds of Kolkata
A study on the impact of urban development on the birds in Kolkata hopes to contribute towards protecting the diversity and numbers of birds through design strategies
Urban Jungle
Resident Predators: Living With Spiders
Step into the world of five spider families found in urban Indian homes, and learn a little about their complex tactics for catching a wide diversity of prey
Urban Jungle
Golden Jackal: Resourceful Canids in Tezu Botanical Garden
Occupying a wide range of habitats in India, these wild omnivores are good hunters, but also live near large human settlements where they scavenge at dumpsites
Wild Vault
What the Jungle Babblers Babble About
Jungle babblers have been known as loud, cacophonous, rowdy birds — but turns out that their "babble" is a complex communication system that they use to look out for each other
Video
Urban Birds Bingo: How Many Have You Seen?
Use this sheet to strike out birds you can spot from your window or your backyard. What's your score?
Interactive
Shared Spaces: Life Within Blurred Lines
In this collaborative photo essay that emerged from #TheUncontest, we bring together images from across India to tell a compelling tale of the importance of the overlapping spaces that humans and nature share
Photo Story
Sensory Trails on a Campus in Gujarat
The sheltered green spaces in educational campuses are hotspots of biodiversity and wilderness. Step off manicured lawns onto dirt tracks and learn to look at unpruned canopies — to let a world of wonder open up
Urban Jungle
Powai Lake: A Wild Wetland at the Heart of a Mumbai Suburb
Surrounded by rapidly developing residential complexes, industrial areas and educational campuses, few know that Mumbai’s Powai Lake hosts rich and diverse wildlife – including a small population of the marsh crocodile
Urban Jungle
Rich Birdlife Call Attention to Delhi’s Disappearing Wetlands
Around 170 bird species recorded in the capital’s ponds amidst housing colonies, inside parks, next to industry, and other urban sites
Urban Jungle
Forest Fugue: The Seasonal Sounds of Avalahalli
Always alive with natural melodies, Avalahalli State Forest is an ever-changing landscape marked by avian choruses and a tapestry of varied acoustics
Urban Jungle
The Mysterious Migration of Crimson Rose Butterflies
A recently observed migration of a large swarm of crimson rose butterflies from India to Sri Lanka has highlighted how little is still known about this natural phenomenon
Wild Vault
Sparrows: Fall of the Little Birds
An avid birder describes some close encounters with the once abundant but now dwindling species
Species
Boxed In: The Urban Snakes of Bengaluru
Human and snake interactions increase in the city as natural habitats shrink
Urban Jungle
Raising Spiderlings: The Best of Jumping Spider Brood Care
Though they don’t build nests, jumping spiders are doting parents that carefully wrap their eggs in silk and stand guard to ward off predators
Wild Vault
Aravallis: Love and Fresh Air
Enter the Ridge in Delhi, and the sound of the city drops. Gurgling streams, bird call, even a possible hyena — all testament to Nature’s ability to surprise us
Urban Jungle
Sharing Spaces with Wild Life on a University Campus
Plenty of wild creatures live in harmony alongside students and faculty in and around the IIT Kanpur campus
Urban Jungle
The Guide: Where to Find the Aravallis in and around Delhi-NCR
The Aravallis were once a contiguous mountain range that ran through Delhi-NCR. Though fragmented, you can still find pockets of wilderness that provide a much-needed green respite from the concrete capital
Travel
Huntsman Spider: Apex Predator in a Microhabitat
Fast, gravity-defying, and adaptable, these impressive spiders are super stalkers that take camouflage to surreal levels
Species
Urban Cacophony of the Heartening Kind
A safari of birds and animals can be seen and heard without stepping out of this apartment home set at the edge of the Avalahalli forest in a north Bangalore suburb
Urban Jungle
In Stages: Metamorphosis in the Insect World
Looking at the lifecycle of insects, it’s clear that each has a unique evolutionary success story, with change the only constant
Photo Story
Wild and Free: Where the Rock Bees Roam
These wild honeybees, called Apis dorsata, have cleverly adapted to the rapid changes in their habitat and make their hives with as much ease on urban high-rise buildings as they do in forests, cliffs, and tall trees
Species
Delhi’s Secret Winter Guests: Small and Chirpy Forest Birds
We often equate migration with cranes, geese and waders in wetlands. But every year, Delhi welcomes smaller birds that fly long distances to visit the city’s woods
Urban Jungle
For Love of Nectar: The Dazzling Sunbirds of India
Sunbirds are everywhere in India, in dense forests and concrete jungles buzzing with human activity — all we have to do is pay attention
Photo Story
Mohammed Dilawar: A Superhero for the House Sparrow
The humble house sparrow’s population was seeing a steep decline for decades, until an ecologist decided to do something about it
Hero
Surviving the Pandemic, One Tree at a Time
When the Covid 19 pandemic shut the world down, the author turned to the trees around her for hope
Urban Jungle
Delhi and Haryana’s Aravallis Home to Rare Wildlife
Survey finds species such as honey-badger, Indian fox, jungle cat, and ruddy mongoose in Gurugram, Faridabad, and Delhi
Urban Jungle
Life on the Vertical: Exploring Nature on City Walls
The ecology of urban walls includes a variety of life, from ferns and figs, to paper wasps, stingless bees, and two-tailed spiders
Urban Jungle
Bantam Force: Ambushed by the Termite Parade
Termites are tiny but they are super builders and play an integral role as decomposers and ecosystem engineers of the natural world. In human habited landscapes, however, they are known as the silent destroyers
Urban Jungle
Finding Nature Through the Gift of Our Attention
From observing bird behaviour in an urban garden to tracking butterfly lifecycles on a balcony, we can all build an enduring connection to the natural world
Urban Jungle
At Home with Herps: Living with Reptiles
How a herpetologist fell in love with the natural world by observing snakes, lizards, frogs and other reptiles around his home
Urban Jungle
Nature Underfoot: Wild Flora and Fauna on City Pavements and Waysides
A rich diversity of plant and animal life is hidden in the cracks and crevices of our streets, and a closer examination can reveal some incredible interactions
Urban Jungle
Golden Jackals Find Shelter at Airports
Grasslands in and around airports in Kolkata and Guwahati offer refuge to these canids
News
Painting a Canvas: Vijay Dhasmana, The Rewilder
Conservator of degraded landscapes, this self-taught ecologist is at the forefront of reviving wrecked habitats in north India
Hero
A Family Saga: To Bee or not to Bee
The author and her father are fascinated by the leaf cutter bee’s nest in their garden, while her mother remains unmoved
Urban Jungle
Unwelcome at Home: The Palm Civets of Kolkata
As Kolkata loses some of its heritage buildings to new development, the shifting landscape claims an unlikely victim — the nocturnal, shy palm civet
Urban Jungle
How the Coastal Road Threatens Mumbai’s Secret Marine World
Over the last four years, Sarang Naik has documented the marine diversity along Mumbai's coast. However, it is now being threatened by the construction of the Coastal Road
Multimedia
Man on a Mission to Revive Noida’s Wetlands
Ramveer Tanwar gave up his job as an engineer to restore at least 20 ponds and lakes in his home region
Hero
Hiding in Plain Sight: Mumbai’s Tide Pools and the City Beyond the Shore
This urban seashore throws up a world of surreal organisms and is sure to change the way you look at India’s commercial capital
Photo Story
Garden of Earthly Delight: My Last Wild Place
A little terrace in Bengaluru glows with wildness and tranquillity, and brings home the lesson that your very own Zen garden does not have to be an immaculately tended space
Urban Jungle
Nest Negotiations: Why Owls Groom Siblings for Food
In a single nest, fights over food among siblings can get intense, but owls have figured out an effective barter system so everyone gets their share
Column
Accidental Ecosystem: How a Rooftop Garden can be a Thriving Habitat
When a few potted plants were left to grow wild on a Delhi terrace, they attracted an entire ecosystem — from delicate butterflies to foot-long colour-changing lizards
Urban Jungle
Butterfly Highway: Delhi’s New Flyby Zones
A team of ecologists and citizens plan to build a series of butterfly parks across Delhi
Urban Jungle
Food First: A Hand for a Handout
Juvenile bonnet macaques in the Bandipur National Park, Karnataka, have developed an almost human way of communicating their request for food
Column
The Private Lives of Kingfishers in My Urban Garden
Watching a white-throated kingfisher family breed and grow in an urban garden in Chennai
Urban Jungle
Building Nests to Save Delhi’s Sparrows
The house sparrow has been steadily disappearing from the capital, but Rakesh Khatri’s Eco-Roots Foundation is determined to change that. He raises awareness in neighbourhoods, and has built and placed about 1,OO,OOO nests and birdhouses to help them nest and roost in
Urban Jungle
Balcony Birding: Birds are Ruling the Roost this Lockdown
The stay-at-home directives are allowing people the chance to explore the urban biodiversity in their own backyard
Urban Jungle
Urban Ecosystems: Snakes and the City
Unbeknown to most of us, snakes are often permanent residents of urban environments. We have to find the happy balance of human-snake coexistence
Urban Jungle
Quiz: Do you know your Friendly Neighbourhood Birds?
Play this quiz and find out how many daily winged visitors you can identify
Interactive
Aarey: The Wild Heart of Mumbai
Few cities in the world have large swathes of jungles within their borders, even fewer have leopards living within. Unfortunately, the green cover of India’s maximum city is under grave threat
Urban Jungle
Hesaraghatta Lake and the Savannah of Silicon City
Are well-meaning birders, photographers, and visitors destroying the very lake and landscape they so love?
Urban Jungle
My Friends, the Trees
Falling in love with trees on a sprawling school campus, near the densely populated city of Varanasi
Urban Jungle
The Guide: Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary
While the migratory birds in winter are the biggest attraction, the lake is home to nearly 25O avian species
Travel
A Date with Mumbai’s Marine Wildlife
Mumbai’s Juhu Beach suddenly comes alive with crabs, anemones, shrimp, snails and other marine biodiversity that lives on city’s coastline
Urban Jungle
Pallikaranai Marshland: An Urban Wetland on the Brink
Besides hosting over 5,OOO resident birds, Chennai’s Pallikaranai marshland is a stopover point for over 4O,OOO migratory birds. It desperately needs to be saved from encroaching toxic waste
Urban Jungle
When Danger Lurks: Toxic Beauties in Action
Butterflies have adopted numerous defence mechanisms to fool their predators, but how well do these tricks work?
Column
A Lost River and the Wetland Paradise of Hoskote Lake
Bengaluru’s Hoskote Lake and its surrounding marshlands host a wide variety of bird life and provide the city with a vital carbon dioxide sink. Efforts are on to revive the river system that once fed this vibrant water body.
Urban Jungle
Sunil Harsana, the Pied Piper of Mangar Bani Forest
An environmental activist fights for one of the last remaining green lungs that sustains the choking capital city of India
Hero
In the Heart of Suburban Mumbai, an Oasis for Birds and Birders
Despite the concrete jungle around, Lokhandwala Lake in Mumbai’s crowded Andheri suburb hosts a healthy diversity of avian species
Urban Jungle
Unprotected Areas: Lalbagh Southern Bengaluru Charm
Every city needs a green lung where citizens can mingle with nature and relish a breath of fresh air. With several water bodies, over 1,OOO species of plants, and many gorgeous birds, Lalbagh is an oasis for Bengaluru’s citizens
Urban Jungle
There’s a Caterpillar on Your Palm Plant, Daddy
They are many a gardener’s bane, but with a little time, caterpillars can bring great benefits to their habitat
Urban Jungle
Cubbon Park: The Lungs of Central Bengaluru
In the heart of this bustling city, Cubbon Park is an oasis of biodiversity that provides citizens a respite and a place to unwind
Urban Jungle
The Green, Green Grass of Home
The case for allowing a little wild grass to grow in your garden and life
Urban Jungle
On a Wing: Dhanauri Wetland, a Birdwatcher’s Wonderland
Majestic birds, reptiles, and even some mammals inhabit this thriving ecosystem, just a short hop from anywhere in the national capital
Urban Jungle
A Reluctant Birder’s Guide to Birdwatching
The author hated birding for as long as she could remember, until she realised she doesn’t have to do it the way everyone else does
Urban Jungle
Trash is on the Menu for the Critically Endangered Greater Adjutant
Guwahati needs to address the larger issue of waste management if this carrion-feeding bird species is to have a future
Conservation
Branch Offices: The Working Trees of Delhi
A tree is home to birds, insects, and animals. It provides us clean air and shade, but few recognise that a large section of the city’s marginalised population leans on them for shelter, support and to set up shop
Urban Jungle
A Starburst of Colour and the Quest for a Nest
In a polluted, concrete and plastic-ridden city, a resilient sunbird couple builds and rebuilds their home
Species
Mangar Bani: Delhi NCR’s Wild and Wonderful Neighbour
A beautiful forest with sharp-eyed eagles, vibrant butterflies, sneaky jackals, and monitor lizards thrives bang in the middle of our concrete-ridden capital
Urban Jungle
Basai Wetlands Thrive Just a Short Hop From Gurugram’s Glitzy Malls
It’s hard to believe that over 231 bird species can be seen in this wetland region so close to Delhi-NCR
Urban Jungle
Shine a Light: A Saturday Night Moth Party in Delhi
The moths of Delhi’s Asola-Bhatti Wildlife Sanctuary have their own loyal fan base, and shutter-friendly paparazzi
Urban Jungle
How Sacred Sites in Bengaluru Safeguard Trees
As many as 121 species of plants thrive and protected by Bengaluru’s sacred sites such as temples and kattes, contributing to the city’s biodiversity
Urban Jungle
City Slickers: The Large Grey Babblers of Delhi
Tales of adaptation in the scrublands of the capital city
Urban Jungle
The Common Tailorbird Stitches its Magic
In urban gardens, the petite tailorbird can be found using its fine beak and innate skills to sow leaves together to build a cradle-like nest
Species
In my Backyard: The Oriental Honey-buzzard
Spotting the crested or oriental honey-buzzard, whose favourite foods is bee and wasp larvae and nests
Species
Kharghar’s Hills are Alive with the Sound of Birdsong
Remarkably beautiful throughout the year, these biodiverse hills in Navi Mumbai are the ideal escape for the curious, urban nature lover
Urban Jungle
Mumbai’s Mangroves: Forests of Breathing Roots
Not all shores are the same; Mumbai’s mangroves are the city’s green guards and they host an entire civilisation in their midst
Urban Jungle
Ruskin Bond’s Search for Wilderness in Delhi
It is easier to spot birds in dusty cities than deep, dense forests, writes the author in Friends in Wild Places
Book
The Fellowship of the Grove
In Cities and Canopies, authors Harini Nagendra and Seema Mundoli delve into the science of urban trees, made even more fascinating with snippets of history, folk tale, recipe, and art
Book
Monsoon Miracles in Navi Mumbai’s Green Valley Park
Secret streams and colourful insects — the arrival of rain heralds the transformation of the Parsik Hills, close to the bustling business area of CBD Belapur
Urban Jungle
When Flamingos Frolic and Feed in the Talawe Wetlands
Hundreds of migrating flamingos and other wildlife can be seen just a stone’s throw away from a bustling Navi Mumbai residential complex
Urban Jungle
Wild Shores: Life in a Tide Pool
When the tide goes out, take a walk along the shore and discover a fascinating range of marine animals and plants
Habitat
Moving to a New City
Cartoons and illustrations on wildlife, environment, and conservation
Green Humour
That Worm in your Garden could be a Snake
Home gardens host a lot more biodiversity than we suspect
Wild Vault