Last eagle of Purbachal: Grey-headed Fish Eagle
Skip to main content
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Splash
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Long Read
  • Games
  • Epaper
  • More
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Subscribe
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
The Business Standard
SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2022
SATURDAY, MAY 28, 2022
  • Home
  • Economy
  • Stocks
  • Analysis
  • World+Biz
  • Sports
  • Splash
  • Features
  • Videos
  • Long Read
  • Games
  • Epaper
  • More
    • COVID-19
    • Bangladesh
    • Infograph
    • Interviews
    • Offbeat
    • Thoughts
    • Podcast
    • Quiz
    • Tech
    • Subscribe
    • Archive
    • Trial By Trivia
    • Magazine
    • Supplement
  • বাংলা
Last eagle of Purbachal: Grey-headed Fish Eagle

Panorama

Enam Ul Haque
12 June, 2021, 12:00 pm
Last modified: 12 June, 2021, 05:54 pm

Related News

  • The last breeding pair of Pallas’s fish eagles at Tanguar haor
  • Dhaka International Trade Fair begins at Purbachal
  • Dhaka trade fair returns on 1 Jan – at new venue
  • PM Hasina inaugurates Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre at Purbachal
  • A rare find: The pomp-free village the Crested Serpent Eagle calls home

Last eagle of Purbachal: Grey-headed Fish Eagle

A lonely Grey-headed Fish Eagle has refused to give up its home at the buried floodplain we call Purbachal

Enam Ul Haque
12 June, 2021, 12:00 pm
Last modified: 12 June, 2021, 05:54 pm
Grey-headed Fish Eagle patrolling the sky. Photo: Courtesy
Grey-headed Fish Eagle patrolling the sky. Photo: Courtesy

The floodplain connecting Turag and Balu rivers was buried to erect on its coffin an enormous uptown called Purbachal.

The olden residents were evicted quietly as the floodplain was buried under the mounds of sand dredged out of the rivers. The wildlife moved on when the dredging machines and the earth-movers established their dominion over the floodplain.  

Being the winged tenants of the floodplain the ducks such as Cotton Pygmy-goose and Lesser Whistling Ducks were the first to leave and relocate in some other places or perish. All the other birds also disappeared soon enough. 

Not every bird, however, was happy to leave. It is not always easy to find a new home, even for the birds. Then, one may be too fond of one's hereditary home to be happy elsewhere. 

A lonely Grey-headed Fish Eagle is one such bird that has refused to give up its home at the buried floodplain we call Purbachal. We were astonished, happy and sad at the same time to see that solitary eagle sitting on a tree-top in sector 9. That was, probably, the last resident eagle of Purbachal; and we did not know for how long it would be able to survive there. 

An agitated Grey-headed Fish Eagle at Purbachal. Photo: Courtesy
An agitated Grey-headed Fish Eagle at Purbachal. Photo: Courtesy

When we spotted the eagle for the first time it was sitting tentatively at the supple end of a young bamboo bent under its weight. The hefty bird was not at all happy with the swaying perch and looked very agitated. We had no doubt that it was a female eagle. We could tell the sex of the bird from its size.

We guessed that the eagle weighed over 2.5 kg; too heavy to be a male. As in most eagles the male Grey-headed Fish Eagle is about half as heavy as its female. The female is bigger, heavier and better at fishing. Although both male and female participate equally in their household chores the female is a better provider as far as the food for the brood is concerned. 

On our several visits we saw the eagle sitting high up on large trees near the surviving water-holes in Purbachal. Turag and Balu rivers seemed to be too polluted and noisy to suit the sombre mood of the thoughtful bird. She was more comfortable near the narrow canals and the residual fens in the quieter area. She seemed to favour the Taal-palms and Chikrashi-trees near shallow water. 

We know that the Grey-headed Fish Eagle fed mostly on fish, frogs and snakes. Its feet and talons are designed especially to grip and hold on to slippery and wiggling prey. It has also honed its fishing skill over many millions of years. Obviously, the one thing it did not learn to handle was a total absence of fish, frog and snake. And haven't we been working foolishly to accomplish just that in the wetlands of Bangladesh!

As we destroyed the fish in the wild we expanded our fish culture helter-skelter. Unfortunately, the fish culture did not do much good to the eagles since we preferred our fish culture to remain inaccessible to the eagles. It was not so bad to keep our fish culture out of reach of eagles; what was bad was to keep wild fish accessible to people.

Grey-headed Fish Eagle commuting between trees. Photo: Courtesy
Grey-headed Fish Eagle commuting between trees. Photo: Courtesy

Although a few Grey-headed Fish Eagles live in the neighbouring Munshiganj district today we do not see any in Dhaka except a singleton each in Keraniganj, Savar and Purbachal. We would be delighted to see breeding pairs there instead of lonely individuals. This eagle is considered globally near-threatened; and we do not wish those three individuals to be bachelors for long and let that species be less and less populous in Bangladesh.

We wish to see an ambitious male enter the territory of the lonely female in Purbachal in the coming breeding season. We hope to hear his far-reaching calls and impressive display flights when we go birding in Purbachal in the fall. We need to see the male and the female lock talons and cart-wheel in the sky to cultivate confidence and form a bond to last their lifetime. 

We want our poets to see the display flights of the eagles as did Walt Whitman who, in the 19th century, wrote The Dalliance of the Eagles. He saw the real eagles rave and roll in the sky talon to talon, not merely the emblematic eagles of his fancy or fabled eagles foretold. 

The potent word-picture of the eagles' boisterous flights Walt Whitman's poem painted was cherished by people generations after generations. And a century later when the lonely voice of Rachel Carson called people to save the Bald Eagle of America the response was global.   

Today we need observant poets like Walt Whitman and passionate scientists like Rachel Carson among us.

Top News

Grey-headed Fish Eagle / eagle / Purbachal

Comments

While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderation decisions are subjective. Published comments are readers’ own views and The Business Standard does not endorse any of the readers’ comments.

Top Stories

  • Mahbub Ahmed. Illustration: TBS
    Budget should focus more on inflation control than on growth
  • Govt borrows 51% of target thru’ savings certificate sales in 9 months
    Govt borrows 51% of target thru’ savings certificate sales in 9 months
  • Protecting Hatirjheel would require striking a balance between the preservation of its natural beauty, fisheries and ease of communication. PHOTO: Mumit M
    Can the Hatirjheel water taxi service be stopped?

MOST VIEWED

  • A male Baya Weaver beating wings. Photo: Enam Ul Haque
    Baya Weavers weave: ‘Must be witnessed to be fully credited’
  • Starlink is ideal in rural or remote locations where internet access has been unreliable or completely unavailable. Photo: SpaceX
    Time for a reality check: How viable is Starlink in Bangladesh?
  • The perfect time for newborn photography is between the first five and 14 days when a baby’s bones are the most malleable for posing. Photo: Courtesy
    Is there a market for newborn photography in the country? Studio Picturerific says yes
  • Pakistan finds itself in political turmoil again as Imran Khan pushes for immediate general elections. Photo: Reuters
    Supreme Court of Pakistan: Now a candle in the dark
  • Sketch: TBS
    ‘Government officials tend to show exaggerated food production data to make the higher-ups happy’
  • Photo caption: Business models are already being hit by climate risk. It is the function of regulators to force banks to pay attention to the future risks to businesses. Photo: Bloomberg
    HSBC and its discordant climate songbook

Related News

  • The last breeding pair of Pallas’s fish eagles at Tanguar haor
  • Dhaka International Trade Fair begins at Purbachal
  • Dhaka trade fair returns on 1 Jan – at new venue
  • PM Hasina inaugurates Bangabandhu Bangladesh-China Friendship Exhibition Centre at Purbachal
  • A rare find: The pomp-free village the Crested Serpent Eagle calls home

Features

A male Baya Weaver beating wings. Photo: Enam Ul Haque

Baya Weavers weave: ‘Must be witnessed to be fully credited’

2h | Panorama
Starlink is ideal in rural or remote locations where internet access has been unreliable or completely unavailable. Photo: SpaceX

Time for a reality check: How viable is Starlink in Bangladesh?

3h | Panorama
First Look: Nissan Magnite 1.0L Turbo

First Look: Nissan Magnite 1.0L Turbo

3h | Wheels
Car myths that really need to go away

Car myths that really need to go away

3h | Wheels

More Videos from TBS

Foods that will prevent future famines

Foods that will prevent future famines

1h | Videos
Sustainable initiative of Pcycle creating employment

Sustainable initiative of Pcycle creating employment

2h | Videos
Photo: TBS

Education at Tk1 changing lives, making dreams come true

4h | Videos
Photo: TBS

An electricity bill that connects Brahmanbaria with Tripura

4h | Videos

Most Read

1
Bangladesh at risk of losing ownership of Banglar Samriddhi
Bangladesh

Bangladesh at risk of losing ownership of Banglar Samriddhi

2
Corporates go cashless…tax cut on cards
NBR

Corporates go cashless…tax cut on cards

3
Photo: Courtesy
Panorama

Misfit Technologies: A Singaporean startup rooted firmly in Bangladesh

4
Tk100 for bike, Tk2,400 for bus to cross Padma Bridge
Bangladesh

Tk100 for bike, Tk2,400 for bus to cross Padma Bridge

5
British International Investment (BII) CEO Nick O’Donohoe. Illustration: TBS
Economy

BII to invest $450m in Bangladesh in 5 years

6
Representational image. Picture: Pixabay
Economy

Govt raises regulatory duty to discourage imports of 130 products

The Business Standard
Top
  • Home
  • Entertainment
  • Sports
  • About Us
  • Bangladesh
  • International
  • Privacy Policy
  • Comment Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Economy
  • Sitemap
  • RSS

Contact Us

The Business Standard

Main Office -4/A, Eskaton Garden, Dhaka- 1000

Phone: +8801847 416158 - 59

Send Opinion articles to - oped.tbs@gmail.com

For advertisement- sales@tbsnews.net

Copyright © 2022 THE BUSINESS STANDARD All rights reserved. Technical Partner: RSI Lab