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Tip-tap, tip-tap, the raindrops fell slowly on our car window. I stepped out of the car and walked towards a rolling green expanse of grassy hills (Vetal Tekdi) right in the centre of Pune city. The dull, yellow hue of the dry season had transformed the hillside into a vibrant green carpet in the monsoon.
The monsoon calls had begun. While winter is by far the most awaited season for birding in India, in the monsoon, you’ll hear distinctive calls from birds that are active and vocal due to their breeding season. In grasslands and scrub habitats of Maharashtra, the leaders of these monsoon voices are two distinct groups — the cuckoos (Cuculidae) and the Phasianids (specifically francolins and quails). During the monsoon, birds find more suitable habitats to breed, and as a result, they are more vocal with territorial calls. In tropical parts of India, for many birds, breeding may start in the springtime, when there are some insects and continue into the monsoon. The onset of the monsoon coincides with a surge in insect populations, as butterflies, dragonflies, termites, and other species emerge. In the early part of their breeding season, the birds vocalise to attract mates, but once a nest is built, they become silent as they do not want to attract the attention of predators.
The monsoon chorus starts
“Pi-tuho, pi-tuho”, a continuous, mournful call greeted us at the start of our birding session. The slender, grey, and generally shy bird making this call now came into view, boldly perched on a branch. The grey-bellied cuckoo (Cacomantis passerines) moves regionally from South India to western Maharashtra in the monsoon, announcing the rains with its plaintive call (for the bird, these are courtship or territorial calls). This unique call has given rise to its intriguing Marathi name, karunya kokila, suggesting that its voice evokes feelings of empathy and compassion. You can usually see it in open scrublands in western and southern India and in parts of the Himalayas in different seasons (based on location).
Krr-Krr-Kikkiree
We heard another distinct call, almost like a rickety old machine starting! The owner of this call could not be more behaviourally different from the cuckoo! While the arboreal cuckoo perches in the canopy, this bird loves the ground, even making its nest there. The bird in question then made its appearance. Its rotund, black body contrasted beautifully with the white-spotted patterns on its neck. This male bird stood stock-still on a stone, extending its neck outwards to sing loudly, announcing itself to potential mates. The painted francolin (Francolinus pictus) is a habitat specialist, seen only in the scrub vegetation and grasslands of Central and South India. Usually shy and reclusive, it hides in the bushes during the dry season. Come the monsoon, it becomes alive and vocal as this is its breeding season.
In the late morning, we ventured to another well-known hilly scrubland near Pune, where the Kanifnath Temple sits atop a hill. As we scanned the thorny acacia trees, a bird revered in Indian culture welcomed us. Its dapper black-and-white appearance bestows it the name Jacobin or pied cuckoo (Clamator jacobinus). Bobbing its long, triangular crest, it was busy hunting for its favourite food of the season — hairy caterpillars. Known locally as “chaatak”, the folklore surrounding this bird’s association with the monsoon in Indian literature is almost legendary. Ancient Indian texts, including those by the revered poet Kalidasa, mention the birds’ longing for rain and catching raindrops in their beak. No wonder this bird is considered a harbinger of the monsoon in Indian literature. Unlike the commonly known winter migrant birds to India, the Jacobin cuckoo migrates to Northern India in late summer, just as the monsoon beckons. Once the monsoon starts, it can be seen in Maharashtra and other parts of Western India. It then migrates to Africa, as the monsoon wanes by October, before the impending winter. However, one subspecies of this bird is present throughout the year in southern India.
Another characteristic, repetitive “quit-quit” or “which-which” call, now reached us from a distance. The call and the increased activity of the bird making it are so closely intertwined with the monsoons that it is called the rain quail (Coturnix coromandelica). This monsoon connection forms because the grass grows longer during the rainy season, and the bird finds suitable nesting and hiding places among the grasses, along with an abundance of insects. An elegantly streaked, football-shaped bird emerged from some grass tufts. The cream plumage wonderfully contrasted with the black streaks, making the bird stand out in its green environs. The rain quail is synonymous with grasslands and farmlands across India. A grass and seed eater, it switches to grubs for a protein boost in its nesting season.
Our birding session ended with the spectacular sighting of a white-bellied minivet (Pericrocotus erythropygius), a lovely scrubland bird, whose breeding season is also the monsoon. Decked in the wonderful orange, white, and black plumage of its breeding season, it stood out in the greenery. Satisfied with our sightings, we headed back home in a good mood.
Homes under threat
Sadly, the future looks bleak for many of these grassland and scrubland birds, as their habitats are vanishing due to agricultural expansion, ill-conceived tree plantations, unplanned construction works, and other infrastructure projects. Some of these birds, especially the rain quail, are declining drastically, according to the State of India’s Birds report (2023). Open habitats, such as grasslands, urgently require legal protection and conservation action.
The monsoon is the best time to hear the beautiful calls of the birds present and active in the grasslands and scrublands. Instead of waiting for winter to go birding, explore your local grasslands during the rains, and look for these unique monsoon birds. You may not see some of these birds at any other time of year. Next time, experience the rainy season’s unique birding flavour with a seasonal chorus of monsoon breeding birds!
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