Urban Wildlife in Winter
A drop in the temperature in the last quarter of the year signals the onset of winter in most parts of the world. In a subcontinent as climatically varied as ours, the seasonal effects are seen from heavy snowfall in the northernmost parts to downpours in the south. The chilly evenings do more than just call for a hot cup of tea; even the animals around us respond to these changes in their own magnificent ways. Have you ever seen birds soaring through the sky in a noise “V” formation? This tells us that they are on their way in their seasonal movement known as migration. This may be caused by a change in the climate, the onset of the breeding season, or a change in the local availability of food. Birds, insectivorous bats, fish, and some mammals like elks migrate to places where the weather is warmer or where food is more abundant. This phenomenon is still under study by scientists since it’s still unknown how birds know where to migrate to each year. Flocks of birds migrate in fall as...