An Oriental Magpie Robin used to sing melodious songs for me every day. I didn’t understand the language, but I still waited for her. Music has no language; lyrics don’t matter. It doesn’t differentiate between gender, caste, colour, or creed. In this case, even species don’t matter.
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Soon, I realised, it was he, not she, and was not performing for me. He was dark and handsome and was trying to woo his cute girlfriend with his melodious songs.
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The Oriental Magpie Robin impressed her with his style, not just his beautiful voice. He puffed up his feathers, fanned his tail, and swooped toward her. The tail movement was often synchronised with his song. It carried its tail high, then lowered it, expanded it like a fan, closed it, and again took it high.
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He hopped from one branch to the other in my garden. He sang in the early morning and in the late evening. After much singing, trying different stages to perform, and experimenting with different tunes and compositions, the two Oriental magpie robins in my backyard were ready to pair up for the breeding season. She did her bit for their romantic story and sang for him, but she wasn’t as melodious as him. He listened to her quietly while she sang. The happy pair in joint operations hunted insects and worms in my garden.
No hard feelings for the cute little girlfriend; I heard a new song every day.
Photos and content by Prerna Jain.
