Samrat Sarkar

In South Bengal, the “Babui Pakhi”, better known in English as Baya Weaver, is a quite familiar bird. Just as the Baya weaver has earned a reputation for its ability to build excellent nests, it is no less infamous for destroying crops in flocks in large stretches of grain fields. For a long time, these birds have been known as “pest birds” — enemies of the crops. They feed mainly on crop grains, paddy and wheat being the main grains in South Bengal. However, recently, wheat cultivation in this region has decreased to a large extent due to a devastating fungal disease, Wheat Blast (WB), caused by Magnaporthe oryzae pathotype Triticum (MoT). As a result, the only food available for them in this part has been rice grains in the last few years. The name of the village where I watch these birds is Majdia, West Bengal. I have been an inhabitant of this village since my birth…read more on NOPR