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Morning invariably breaks with a group Of gregarious Jungle Babblers, their cacophony interrupted only when intrigue gets the better of them as they peer into the room. One of the first visitors to the birdbath was the Brown-headed Barbet. Taking his usual flight path from the perch to the railing, he emits his happy guttural call, which is what always alerts me to his presence. He'll usually spend some time checking out his surroundings, Before hopping down to the water. When another Barbet calls from nearby, It’s probably his mate. Otherwise, they tend to be very territorial And defensive of their arboreal turf. When he’s not at the water, he’s attacking the mandarin oranges. Loves a bright, clear, sunny day. There’s a family of Mynahs nearby that will drop in often during the day. With a varied vocalisation repertoire, they whistle and screech, and sometimes make strangely human-sounding noises. But a less frequent visitor is the common Mynah’s cousin. The Brahminy Starling or Brahminy Mynah, is named after his hairstyle with the choti. Their scientific name, pagodarum, is based on their habit of perching on temple pagodas in southern India. The Red-vented Bulbul is fairly common, having adapted to urban life. But this one is actually a resident, having sired a clutch of hatchlings in a flower-pot nest on the ground floor. The Red-whiskered Bulbul or Crested Bulbul is less common, but still a frequent visitor. Even so, they’re more often heard than seen. The Indian House Crow will drop in either for a drink, or with a piece of food that he needs to dunk into the water to soften, and make more palatable. But that generally messes up the birdbath with residue that the others don’t appreciate. Like this Little Brown Dove, or Laughing Dove, doesn’t look particularly amused; even though she will take a few sips. She’d much rather have a clean tub of water. The reticent and shy Eurasian Collared Dove, a distant cousin of the little brown dove, though not a frequent visitor, will fly by every once in a while. This Oriental Magpie-robin is an actual neighbour, nesting in a hole in the tree across the road. Sometimes a young juvenile will accompany its dad. But usually it’s the adult male that comes, either to drink or to forage. This hyperactive little guy Is barely eight or nine centimetres long. Known as the Indian White-eye, earlier called the Oriental White-eye, he Is a nearby neighbour who spends much of the day in the surrounding foliage. There’s a pair of them that’ll visit frequently together during the breeding season. Of the millions in the city, only a couple Of Rock Pigeons have found their way here. Although usually unobtrusive, sometimes they’ll occupy the birdbath for extended periods of time. The Rufous Tree-pie, 20 inches long, is three times the diameter of the bath. Their harsh call is frequently heard from the tree-tops; But they will drop down for a drink every now and then. Just as difficult to spot Is the once ubiquitous House Sparrow. They seem to prefer the terrace garden, but will come for a drink occasionally. Like the sparrow, the female Purple Sunbird also prefers the garden to the bath. The Common Tailorbird is constantly active and restless. Although generally hidden in the trees, their loud calls often give them away. This Black-rumped Flameback, or Lesser Golden-backed Woodpecker, Is about a foot long and very nervous. The second time I saw him, It took two minutes of nervous fretting, Before he finally took his leap of faith. The trilling-whinying sound from the trees suggests his mate may be close by. Apparently they’re one of the very few woodpeckers seen in urban areas. The water is used, not just for drinking, but also the all-important role of feather maintenance. Dampening, or wetting feathers, makes it easier for grooming. Both, the Red-vented Bulbul, as well as the Red-whiskered Bulbul, come quite frequently for a bath. Although a lone Babbler will come sometimes, they do seem to prefer communal baths. The Brown-headed Barbet however, seems to struggle with getting into the bowl. He'll try again when the water level is higher. Better, but not perfect. One more try; this time when the water’s up to the brim. This is an important ritual for birds Because, without it, their flying ability would be hampered greatly. Despite being larger than the Barbets, the Rock Pigeons don’t seem to struggle. The Brahminy Starling prefers his bath downstairs on the ground. His normally limp, wispy crest, becoming a mohawk-style hair-do. Preening, or grooming, usually follows a splash-up. But can also be done without bathing. They’ll perch on the overhanging branches At different times of the day; And sometimes spend inordinate Amounts of time indulging. It involves aligning feathers, And cleaning plumage. For the birds, preening is an individual behaviour. With the exception of the Jungle Babblers, Who often make this a social event. It’s called “allopreening”. The main purpose of this mutual grooming, Is to reduce instinctive aggression When birds are in close contact; It also helps to strengthen bonding. Doesn’t always work though. Apart from generally keeping feathers clean, The process also involves gathering preen oil from a gland at the base of their tails; and spreading it through their feathers, with their beaks. That ensures water-proofing their plumes. Even the House Crow takes time off For a bit of bill-cleaning. Which, it seems, is actually Honing the keratin layer of the beak. Much like us clipping our nails. The Rufous Tree-pie will sometimes chill on the branches after a drink; Doing his thing in the shade. An interesting aspect at the birdbath is the social behaviour between species. While one would expect larger birds to display dominant behaviour; It's surprising how sociable and civil some of the interactions are. The courtesy of waiting, while others finish their activity, Is very often on display. Sometimes a wing-spread will suggest a bit of annoyance; But if there is a birdbath hierarchy, it is usually respected. Occasionally, there could be a stand-off. The Rock Pigeon is three times longer than the Indian White-eye; with a wingspan that is eight times wider. But he waits. As does the Tailorbird for the Sparrow. Or the Pigeon for the Tailorbird. But, of course, there’s always a bully in the pack.