The Cuckoo

As I enjoyed a lazy Saturday off from work, this Greater Koukal sunned itself on the grass in my backyard after having used my birdbath. The literature says that Koukals are a relative of the European Cuckoo. It shows. They are amusing, with their raspy call and penguin-like waddling on the ground, often chasing other landed birds, road-runner style.

You may think these birds are common in Bangalore, but their presence is incongruous. You won't see them in the city, whose center lies about 10 miles away from where this photo was taken.

But they can be found in an environment that suggests the wilderness, even if it happens to be carefully managed by humans. The fact that I can find them here, in a 75-acre community with gardens shows how important is for humans to achieve equilibrium with their environment. What is the point otherwise?

#koukal #urbanwilderness #nature