Krishnandu Sarkar

This one date’s more than a decade ago. I was posted in North Kashmir. The task was simple – to carry out reconnaissance to establish a base. I had settled on a location amidst the Pine Forest at an altitude of 2500 meters ASL. The forest was alive day and night with calls of birds or other wildlife.

The very first day, my eyes caught a glimpse of a beautiful, vibrant blue coloured bird. Back then, there was no access or existence known to me to check for instant ID; referring to the field guide, I could identify it as a European Roller. Wondering what it was doing here in this part of the world instigated my curiosity.

Each day I waited to catch a glimpse, and each day I made notes and clicked photographs. In a matter of three months span the outcome was a documentation of the European Roller pair ending with fledging of the chick. After a couple of years, when I had shared this with a birder, he insisted that I send it for publication, and in 2016 the article was published as European Roller diary in the Saevus, 5(2), 100–105. The lesson I learned was that science needs to be communicated.

Only the place and task changed but the man remains the same.
Then: Somewhere in North Kashmir; Now: At the abandoned quarry studying owls.

This is how my love for birds and nature took shape…

Born in Aarey milk colony Mumbai, back then it was a forested area with hillocks. It had everything for a child to be lost in nature from birds to bees, amphibians, reptiles and wild animals. My curiosity had no bounds, study in ornithology was not known to me, unknowingly the knowledge which I acquired was from the indigenous people (Varli tribe), elders and my first teacher my Maa.

Armed with folklore tales where the main character was a bird, I wandered in the jungles in the search of the same. As a child I wanted to bring home every bird that I saw. Maa told me every bird has a home of its own and it’s called a nest. I was often found chasing a butterfly, dragonfly or climbing trees to check how the nest looked and there were occasions I was stung by bees and chased by crows. My hidden world got exposed often, which included tadpoles in the water bottle, a garden lizard in a shoe box, a feral pigeon chick underneath my bed. Needless to say, I always ended up with a punishment.

Soon I was the child whom every mother in the neighbourhood loved but never wanted theirs to be like me. Time flew by but somewhere deep down in my heart was the forest. During my career in the army, my childhood resurfaced once again. I served in various terrains from snowbound, desert to evergreen forest. I witnessed firsthand the fragile relationship between people, habitats, and biodiversity. These experiences gradually transformed my interest in nature into a deeper commitment toward ecological understanding and conservation.

My journey into ecology and conservation has emerged not from a conventional academic pathway alone, but through years of lived experiences across landscapes, forests, wetlands, mountains, and communities.

The companions and field equipment changed
Then: The first snow fall of the season in the field excited Sheru (Kashmiri Mastiff)
Now: At a grassland celebrating the excitement of sighting the target species over tea and paratha.

Honestly speaking; to me research is curiosity, since  childhood my curiosity made me seek answers to why, how, so? I would say I do not do research at all. All I do is to seek answers and I am trying to learn a bit more each day than last. At 58 years the child in me, the jungle boy is still seeking and the hunger to learn is neverending. This very urge led me to join the Masters in Environmental Science Course offered by MIT-WPU, Pune at 56 years old; learning the methodology to answer the questions. It would be wrong to say I moved towards research during academics. As the seed of research was sown long back when I heard folklores, stories and observed the birds and nature in-person.

An article about Little Grebe getting entangled in a fishing net highlighting impacts of anthropogenic pressures.

At present I am studying one of the most elusive grassland birds of the northern Western Ghats; the Broad-tailed Grassbird (Schoenicola platyurus). Although the species has been reported from parts of the Western Ghats, very little is known about its ecology in the high-elevation grasslands around Pune. It is a bird that is heard far more often than seen, quietly moving through tall grasses and revealing its presence mostly through its calls.

My work tries to understand the relationship between this bird and the grassland it calls home. I spend long hours in the field observing its behaviour, documenting its occurrence, measuring habitat characteristics, and trying to understand why it chooses one patch of grassland over another. Alongside this, I study the broader bird community, because no species exists in isolation; every bird is part of a larger ecological story.

What fascinates me is that the Broad-tailed Grassbird is teaching me much more than the ecology of a single species. Through it, I am learning about the importance of native grasslands, habitat structure, disturbance, and the intricate relationships that sustain these overlooked ecosystems. Every day in the field reminds me that when we begin by studying one bird, nature quietly introduces us to an entire landscape.

Anthropogenic impact: Painted Snipe (M) entangled in a ghost net; White-throated Kingfisher caught in ghost net

I love what I do because:

I just love spending time (observing, documenting) in the field. Nature has a unique way of unfolding things. Time spent on the field is first-hand knowledge. While studying one species brings forth the entire process of learning; the shaping of the ecological patterns, many a times it’s an indicator, a step towards understanding and learning.

Clockwise from the top: Melanistic Baya Weaver, Melanistic Sparrow, tagged Indian Skimmer (Tag no: L-15, was reported to BNHS, this individual was tagged by Dr. Parveen Sheikh, Whitley awardee

My coastal bird (Gulls and Terns) behaviour study indicated towards the change in the shoreline and sea level, the anthropogenic intervention, the disturbance enabling me to learn about the cross trophic impact. The Broad-tailed grassbird from the grassland taught me the value of the grassland existence. The abandoned quarry laid a foundation for me to learn about the co-existence of two different Owl species.

Thus, I enjoy learning and understanding the process. Maybe my learning and understanding would enable me someday to contribute towards science communication.       

Challenges I have faced..

Yes, I am facing challenges in my work actually they can be listed; but are these challenges the moot question? Let’s list a few- obtaining permission from authorities to conduct a study on a bird in the forest while waiting for months, obtaining grants and funds for a lesser-known bird species vs. endemic and/or rare. Securing permissions and funding often requires patience and persistence. Working on lesser-known species also means competing for limited resources.

But yes, I can list others. I do not meet the age criteria for getting grants and fellowship. Yet it doesn’t stop me from trying and no way causes hindrance in walking in the field searching for the answer to the questions in my head. Many projects which are circulated asking for interns or seeking researchers, the organisations shut the door for me; as once again the age bar draws the barricade. I see them as missed opportunities but at the same time I feel the younger lot will be more benefited in their career.

My biggest challenge is time. The more I learn, the more I realise how much remains to be understood. I am trying to balance between learning and contributing, ending up racing against the falling sands in the sand clock. The soldier in me accepts all the challenges and I live to the motto “When the going gets tough the tough get going”      

My advice to young researchers is..

Some glimpses from my recent days at the Masters program at MIT-WPU

Well, I do not want to sound like an old grandpa beginning with During my days…I would say today’s younger generation is highly versatile, they are clear in their thoughts and they are well-versed with information and technology.

However, since being asked I would say, never ever let the child in you go away. A child is curious and that very curiosity evokes a question. Science was very much created with questions; the hallmark of seeking answers and learning in the process and culminating into contributing. Be disciplined (ethical and truthful) and be physically fit. It will carry you a long way in the field and in the four walls of your office. Be humble, thankful and humane, lacking this can never make you a good conservationist or a researcher. Respect the grassroot community as they are the living encyclopaedia.

The child in me is getting younger each passing day. I did not hesitate  to go to the campus to do my masters, sharing the bench with my classmates who are much younger than my own son. I am not shy to say –  I do not know, can you teach me? The child in me is eager to learn and I don’t think my learning would ever stop. I would end it by saying I can do it, will you join me?

Krishnandu Sarkar
[email protected]
Researcher at The Chatur Ullu Lab
Recently competed MSc Environmental Science (Wildlife and Conservation)
Mentored by Dr. Pankaj Koparde