By Naseeb Jaleel
Mujeeb and family wake up everyday hearing the chirping birds in his aviary. Mujeeb’s passion for birds led him to rear hundreds of birds in the courtyard of his villa. This thirty square metre aviary shelters around three hundred birds from different climatic zones of the world. Scientific and eco-friendly conservation practices distinguishes Mujeeb’s aviary.
“I was very passionate about birds and started rearing a couple of birds in my house three years ago. When I started out I never imagined that it would develop into such a big aviary. I have realised that anything related to conserving the environment is a passion for me and I would persist with it despite the time and effort it takes,” said Mujeeb.
Mujeeb C Mohamed (pictured), from the southern Indian state of Kerala, works with SEEF Limited Qatar and made his own villa courtyard an abode of birds three-years ago. He chose his birds from Souq Waqif, where varieties of birds are on sale. Every week he visits the market to check if any new variety is available. He sells some of his birds to enthusiasts or gives away to friends to maintain the balance of birds in the aviary.
“The shopkeepers in the Souq have no idea about birds and their conservation practices. They just bring them over from various countries and sell in the market. I go there and choose the varieties I like the most. If we don’t buy the birds soon after they reach the market, we get them in a bad condition as there is no proper care,” Mujeeb said.
He prefers small birds to big pigeons and doves as he feels that they are easier to handle. He quarantines new birds for a few days to confirm that there is no infectious disease. Only after ensuring good health they are allowed to mingle with the existing flock. Sick birds will be treated in a heated hospital cage. Now three hundred birds of thirty varieties find shelter in the aviary of Mujeeb, which is in Al Thumama.
Mujeeb, an avid reader, learns about birds from books, websites and online communities, which provide information about birds’ natural habitat, food habits, mating practices, nesting, breeding and fledglings to give them adequate care. He maintains a database with information like species, origin, count, sex, incubation period and expected hatch date. It also includes the image of the bird, its cage type and the purchase and sale values.
These birds are from different climatic conditions and come from different continents. European Gold Finch and Lesser Red Pole have their origin in Europe. Gouldian Finch or the rainbow finch is endemic to Australia.
Black Headed Munia, White Headed Munia, Strawberry Finch and Spice Finch are from Asia. Red Cheeked Cordon Blue and Orange Cheeked Waxbill come from Africa. Diamond Dove, Diamond Firetail, Star Finch, Masked Grassfinch and Owl Finch are Australian natives.
Finches dominate his collection. A finch variety - red-cheeked cordon-bleu - easily got accustomed to local climate as it is a resident of drier regions of tropical sub-Saharan Africa. The Java Sparrow, which was considered a serious agricultural pest of rice and Canaries, which have been extensively used in research to study neurogenesis, are housed here. Red Eared Waxbill, Lesser Red Pole, Masked Grass-Finch and Hecks Grass Finch Society are also seen.
Different kinds of cages, nests, artificial water fountains, mist fans and light systems are arranged in the aviary. Cages are built mainly of wood and it can be easily separated into parts to relocate if necessary. A thermometer is fixed to it to check and maintain the temperature time to time. Three layered wired mesh roofing kept at an average height of four metres helps the birds to fly freely and keeps moderate temperature in the aviary. It also protects the birds from cats and bigger birds. Birds can freely fly and perch on artificial plants and trees. Containers of hay, coconut fibre, cotton and bamboo are kept here and there for the nesting birds.
There are also fancy chicken breeds like Polish Caps, Red Millifleurs, Japanese and Dutch Bantams. He pairs chicken and keep them in closed coops. Blue Bantams, Black Cochin, Sebright and Onagadori also have their space in the aviary.
Mist fans and artificial water fountains give relief to birds from the heat during summer. A powerful exhaust fan keeps out the feather dusts and odours while regularising the temperature. He uses heat bulbs to warm the birds in winter if the temperature goes down below ten degree Celsius. As most of the birds breed in winter they need light for about sixteen hours. For this a timer fitted light system that gradually gets dimmed is also installed.
The birds are fed a vitamin rich diet of corn, minutely chopped carrots, cucumbers, lettuce, broccoli, apple and other vegetables and fruits. Every morning specially prepared egg food is provided to birds for additional energy required for breeding, chick rearing and moulting. This protein rich diet is prepared using chicken eggs, couscous, burghul, bread crumbs, broccoli tops, sprouted mix seed, dry egg food, finch pellets, corn, hulled sunflower seeds, grass seeds, cereal health mix, calcium and multivitamin powder, cod-liver oil, honey and Bokashi Powder.
Inspired by the organic farming method of Japan, Mujeeb prepares Bokashi powder to feed the birds and to prepare fertiliser for his vegetable garden. Bokashi uses a mix of microorganisms to cover food waste to decrease smell and ferment the waste.
Mujeeb prepares Bokashi powder using effective microorganism solution and wheat bran. Bio waste generated in his home and aviary is treated with Bokashi to produce manure for the vegetable garden.
Mujeeb now actively participates in environmental awareness campaigns. He motivates likeminded individuals to join his cause. Since 2011 Mujeeb is part of many organisations concerned with birds. He takes part in the activities of UK based Royal Society for Protection of Birds, which plays a leading role in a worldwide partnership of nature conservation organisations. He is also part of US based National Finch and Softbill Society, a hobbyist organisation dedicated to the conservation, breeding, exhibiting and enjoyment of finches and softbills.
Mujeeb is proud that Californian Quail bred three times in his aviary. Normally this variety of Quail very rarely breeds in a strange atmosphere. He is hopeful that all birds will get adapted to the climate of Qatar in three generations.
“Within a couple of years birds hatched here will get accustomed to the climatic condition. Such birds can be shifted to the isolated farms of Qatar. Small sparrows will stay within the farm. Hawks and Falcons will not be a threat, as they will not be interested in finches due to their minute size and finches’ habit of staying in confined areas. This will be a good conservation method because these small sparrows strive for survival in this age,” Mujeeb said.
A glance through the window screen at the mating dances, fledgling’s asking for food, nest building and foraging provides an enchanting view. Mujeeb’s satisfaction lies in his contribution to the protection of environment through the safeguard of birds, management of waste and making the earth green.The Peninsula
