Where bird trade is legal
Jakarta : I was introduced to the word ornithology in the early 1970s. This is when I read about India’s famous ornithologist and naturalist Dr Salim Ali. Called the Birdman of India, he not only introduced the system of bird surveys in the country but also went on to author many books on this subject. To me his name is a synonym for ornithology in India.
I love waking up to the dawn chorus of birds. Experts say that it is “when birds are singing louder and prouder than at any other time of day.” I always look forward to enjoying dawn chorus while in my village in Himachal Pradesh or on holidays. In Delhi I do not get this opportunity since my body clock wakes me up before members of the chirping, peeping and tweeting choir start their singing session.
In Delhi the most common bird sounds we hear are of crows, maynas, pigeons, parrots and an occasional sparrow. Cluck cluck or ‘screams’ of the chicken are heard at the butcher shops, while the famous cuckoo (Koel) makes its presence felt with its musical notes in north India between the months of spring and summer.
However, on my first day at a local market in South Jakarta I was introduced to the captivating world of birds music which was being aired from all directions in the sky.
In this local vegetable, meat and grocery market I was hearing bird sounds — short and high tweets, loud shrieks, chirping as well as hooting. Birds choir was in its elements and their choral music, being aired through mother nature’s very own Dolby Surround System, was enveloping me from all directions.
It was heavenly music but I could not identify a single member of the choir. I am neither an ornithologist nor an avid bird watcher, but I do love to see and hear birds in their natural habitats.
Enquiries led me to the original source of this divine music — big and small cages hanging all over the market at nearly 15 plus feet height. Every cage was occupied by a bird and all seemed to be communicating with each other, or clearing their vocal chords. Or may be they were practising for their next chamber concert. The birds were completely oblivious to the human species wandering around in the market. Here they were the masters of the sky and sound waves.
Bird trade is legal in Indonesia and people love to keep birds as pets in cages. This craze almost borders on obsession. Singing birds remain the most sought after and their ownership a mark of status symbol. Songbird competitions are held at private gatherings, akin to Baithaks of Hindustani classical music held at homes for family and friends.
Non-singing species too are popular and in high demand. They are picked up for their unique physical features, colours and sounds. Markets and commercial areas are full of pet shops catering to birds and cats and outnumber beauty parlours and salons for the human race.
Inquiries led me to one of the most popular and exclusive bird markets — Pasar Burung — in Thamrin area of Jakarta Timur (East). It is right next to Pasar Pramuka in Jakarta Timur’s main market.
I spent nearly four hours in the market of more than 150 shops spread over couple of acres. This market has lanes like the Grand Bazar of Istanbul in Turkey and Devaraja market on Sayaji Rao Road in Mysuru. Shops were home to lakhs of birds, all locked up in thousands of cages — small, large, extra large, double extra large and plus size cages.
(To be Concluded)
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