PRAYAGRAJ: Prayagraj-based laparoscopy and cancer surgeon and an accomplished wildlife photographer, Dr Arpit Bansal, has recorded the presence of Burmese Hybrid Myna in the enchanting habitat of Namdapha National Park located in Arunachal Pradesh for the first time in India. Dr Arpit Bansal also recently crossed 1100 bird species from India, by way of sighting/clicking, which along with Burmese Hybrid Myna have been recorded in the world’s largest online database of birds ‘eBirds.org’.
Dr Bansal is part of the coveted list of top 10 ‘eBirders’ of India (at 8th place) as he has recorded 1102 out of 1,353 bird species of India.
Sharing his experience with TOI while spotting Burmese Myna, the young medico said as the canopy of this vast forest land of Namdapha National Park provides shelter to great number of Indian hornbills and other colourful birds, he was on a visit to the park for birdwatching and photography along with his close friend and an avid birdwatcher Rofikul Islam from March 10 to 12.
“A visit to the park was always on my wish list, but little did I expect that I would be capturing the spectacular image of Burmese Myna (Hybrid) for the first time,” recounts Dr Arpit, who is also known for beginning the advanced laser surgeries for piles in the city.
He further narrates, “As we observed two Burmese Myna- hybrid amongst a statutory of around 60 Great Myna, we hastened to cross the small and shaky bridge amid strong winds, and slowly approached the statutory of Mynas. Fortunately, I managed to get some good shots of the Myna that looked a bit different from the rest of the statutory members. It was later identified as Burmese Myna hybrid by renowned birder and wildlife expert, James Eaton”.
Commenting on the accomplishment of Dr Bansal, country’s eminent ornithologist, Bikram Grewal, said, “ I have been watching birds for over 50 years but have rarely come across a birder who has seen over 1100 species of birds, and am not surprised that Dr Arpit Bansal is one of them. Amongst his achievements is the sighting of the Burmese Myna Hybrid, a bird we only dream about, and also this is the first sighting of this species in India.”
City’s renowned surgeon and birdwatcher Dr Probal Neogi adds, “Dr Bansal has not only established himself as a surgeon par excellence with his fantastic laparoscopic skills but has also made it to the coveted list of top 10 birders (as per ebird site) of the country”. He is an extraordinarily talented person, both in respect to his fine surgical skills and to his intense passion for birding, he added.
About Burmese Myna
Burmese myna is a species of starling in the family Sturnidae. It is mainly found in Myanmar. The bird can be spotted in the agricultural fields, and open scrublands or grasslands. It wears a thin black bandit’s mask, has a medium-gray back, grayish-pink chest, dark iris and bicolored orange-and-black bill. Like many other starlings, it is typically encountered in pairs or groups.
