Rohan Chakravarty is a Cartoonist, illustrator, and wildlife buff. Creator of Green Humour, the comic strip. He is an author and illustrator known for his work in bridging art and science, particularly in the field of bird behavior. His book, “Bird Business,” focuses on showcasing the quirks, antics, and daily lives of 100 Indian birds, offering insights into their unique behaviors.
- How does a cartoonist and illustrator think about birds? Can you walk us through the process of creating this book.
- How did you choose the birds that feature in your book?
- You are clearly interested in bird behaviour. You say, for instance, that the Lammergier- bearded vulture, takes 7 years to master its bone-throwing skill. These are very specific facts. How did you learn all this and how did you choose what to throw in. Rewrites? Anita’s intervention?
- For those who haven’t read your book, can you mention some of the fascinating bird behaviors that you have come across?
- Have you seen all the species in this book? Bar tailed treecreeper?
- Why do nuthatches move/spiral downwards while the treecreeper spirals upwards, do you know?
- Baya nesting colonies are usually built close to water bodies to reduce risk of predation by snakes— but aren’t there water snakes? Do snakes not climb up trees?
- Why does the brown fish owl wade instead of doing the traditional thing that owls do?
- Bar-headed geese (raising the bar). How do you come up with puns? Because you are a cartoonist or a writer or both?
- What are your favourite species and why?
- What is your technique of going birdwatching, as in do you go every week? Favourite binocs? Or do you sit and draw outside?
Watch the episode on our Instagram channel below.
Interview Overview with Rohan Chakravarty
- Author/illustrator of book focusing on bird behavior diversity
- Created 700-800 draft sketches to finalize 100 illustrations
- Book emphasizes behavioral diversity rather than species diversity
- Research combined field observations, scientific literature, and documentary sources
Key Bird Behavior Insights
- Species Selection Criteria:
- Focused on birds with peculiar behaviors rather than taxonomic diversity
- Example: Black Kite vs Black-shouldered Kite included due to drastically different behaviors
- Generalist birds (Red-vented Bulbul, Black Drongo) showing better adaptation to urban environments
- Notable Behavioral Observations:
- Shikra: Individual adaptation observed hunting bats during twilight
- Lammergear (Bearded Vulture): Takes 7 years to master bone-throwing skills
- Baya Weaver: Makes 500-600 trips to complete nest structure; nest design prevents snake predation
- Bar-headed Geese: Special adaptations (hemoglobin, muscles, blood vessels) enable Himalayan migration
- Brown Fish Owl: Wades in water to hunt instead of swooping like other raptors
Conservation and Research Notes
- Urban Development Impact:
- Nagpur experiencing wetland loss due to unplanned development
- Decline in Bee-eater populations linked to dragonfly numbers and mosquito increase.
- Research Methodology:
- Referenced Rishad Naoroji’s publication on Raptors of India
- Used Attenborough documentaries for behavioral information
- Combined field observations with extensive video/literature research
- Author has personally observed less than half of the species featured in book
