A Bulbul in our yard

Red-vented bulbul

Bulbul is the much-loved songbird of Urdu poets. It was used as a metaphor by nearly all of the classical ghazal writers. I remember it from my school days through Professor Qayyum Nazar’s poem ‘Bulbul a Bacha’ (Baby Bulbul) and Iqbal’s ‘Bulbul aur Jugnu’ (Bulbul and the Firefly).  It is sometimes translated as Nightingale in English, but a Nightingale is a very different, mainly European songbird.

It was not long ago that Bulbul, Koel, and other local birds were a common sight in Pakistan. But habitat loss, extensive hunting and chemical sprays on the crops have decimated the bird and insect populations in the area. The remaining ones are shy and avoid people in general.

I noticed this bird a few days ago in our front yard. But it was always cloaked within leaves high up in the tree branches. It took me nearly an hour to get a clear snap of this handsome specimen.