Harini learns how the tailor birds decide to make their nests

Harini sat at her bedroom window, gazing out at the garden and the great big banyan tree in the distance. She loved watching the birds flit about, their feathers a riot of colors against the lush green foliage. Her eyes drifted to the shallow bird bath she had placed near her window, and she smiled as she saw a few birds sipping water from its edge.

As she sat there, keenly observing, she noticed the tailor birds flitting about the chafa tree that grew closer to her window. The inner canopy of the tree was a favorite haunt of the birds, darting in and out of its leafy depths. Harini loved watching them since the upper canopy of the Chafa tree was just outside her bedroom window on the first floor.

One of the tailor birds flew out of the Chafa tree and came to perch on the windowsill, looking in at Harini with bright, curious eyes. It was Darzee, the female Tailor Bird.

"Hello, Harini!" Darzee chirped. "Why did you not come to the banyan tree today? We were expecting you."

Harini smiled, feeling a little guilty. "I just got back from school, and I was waiting for lunch. I will come to the garden later this evening, I promise."

Darzee nodded, seeming to accept Harini's explanation. "We were a bit worried about you," she said. "But we are glad you're okay. By the way, what is a 'school' that you said you went to?"

"A school?" Harini asked. "Do you not know what is a school? That is where we are sent to learn everything. Nowadays I am learning alphabets and some poems. My father said that as I grow older, I can learn engineering and medicine. Then I can construct big buildings or learn how to treat people who are ill." 

"Don't you birds have a school?" Harini asked. 

"No. We do not attend a school and we have no teachers," Darzee replied. "All tailor birds know that as they grow older, they have to, with their partner, select a bush with large leaves that will not wither or fall away, look for a strong branch, avoid locations that can be seen easily, and stitch up the leaves to make our nests."

"But how do you learn to do this?" Harini asked. "How do you know which leaves to choose? How do you know how to stitch them together? I guess you have to protect them from the rain and the sun. I get so upset when it is very hot outside. But, I enjoy the rain."

"We cannot risk the rain or the sun," Darzee said. "The eggs have to be carefully protected. The body heat from our bodies is enough. Not more than that. The rains will make the entire nest wet and heavy and will cause it to fall down. So we have to choose carefully. Nobody teaches us. We learn by watching other tailor birds select their nest locations and also by observing the nest material that they pick up with great care. The stitching of the leaves, well, we do not go to any school and our parents certainly do not teach us."

"Nobody teaches you this?" Harini asked. "I thought that your mother taught you all this when you were in the nest. You are amazing, Darzee. I am so happy that I met you. I can learn so much by just watching you." 

Darzee laughed in a whistling tone and flew off to join her family at the Chafa branches as they kept searching for insects. Harini waved at the tailor birds and she was sure that one of them waved back at her.

Bharat Bhushan

8 April 2025

 

Harini meets Darzee and Darzi, the Tailor Birds

Harini walked slowly through the garden, making her way through the flower bushes and vegetable creepers below the great big banyan tree, her t-shirt barely protecting her from the snappy branches of the thorny bushes. She loved exploring the garden and the larger trees, and today she was on a mission to find some new friends. As she approached the large banyan tree, she spotted a tiny, intricately sewn nest, made by stitching together large leaves of a bush nearer to other flower plants, hanging from a branch. A female Tailor Bird, Darzee, was perched on a nearby branch, watching Harini with curious eyes. 

Harini's face lit up with excitement. "Hello! I'm Harini! I live in the house nearby," she exclaimed, her voice barely above a whisper.

Darzee tilted her head to one side, her greenish feathers rustling softly. "Hello, Harini! I'm Darzee. And that's my husband, Darzi," she said, nodding towards a nearby bush.

Harini followed Darzee's gaze and spotted the other Tailor Bird, Darzi, who actually looked the same, peeking out from behind a leaf. He gave her a friendly chirp and fluttered his wings.

Harini giggled. "You're so tiny! I love your nest. How do you make it?"

Darzee puffed out her chest proudly. "Ah, it's a lot of hard work! We use threads from spider webs, cotton, and plant fibers to stitch up our nest. It takes us about 3-4 days to complete."

Harini's eyes widened. "Wow, that's amazing! I've never seen anything like it. What do you eat?"

Darzi flew out from behind the bush, chirping excitedly. "We eat insects, spiders, and sip on flower nectar! We forage for food in the garden and surrounding areas."

Darzee added, "We also drink water from the birdbath near your house. We love it when you refill it with fresh water."

Harini smiled. "I'll make sure to refill it every day! Do you have any babies?"

Darzee's eyes sparkled. "We have two chicks, and they're growing fast! They're learning to fly and forage for food. It's a big job being a parent, but it's so rewarding."

Harini's face lit up with excitement. "I want to see the babies! Can I help with the food?"

Darzi chuckled. "You're welcome to help, Harini! We do not allow anyone to come closer to the nest. We need to be careful, and we do not expose our babies to the very curious who love to explore."

"Why?" Harini asked. 

"There could be predators watching and we do not want to expose our nest or our young ones."

Harini grinned, eager to help. "I'll be careful! I will check up on you and your family after your young ones have left the nest and are flying about, I promise. Can I come back tomorrow and talk to you again?"

Darzee and Darzi exchanged a look, and then Darzee nodded. "We'd love that, Harini. Come back tomorrow, but do not come near the nest and we'll show you where we fly to in search of our food and water."

As Harini walked back to her house, she felt happy knowing she had made some new friends under the banyan tree. She couldn't wait to visit Darzee and Darzi again and learn more about their lives as Tailor Birds.