Jennifer Nandi: Jacobin cuckoo and monsoon share atmospheric triggers
The Jacobin cuckoo, also called the Chatak bird, has a reputation for showing up just before India's monsoon hits, so much so that farmers have long seen it as a sign that rain is on the way.
But as naturalist and author Jennifer Nandi points out, the bird isn't actually predicting anything; both its migration and the arrival of monsoon rains are triggered by similar environmental changes in the atmosphere.
Climate change disrupts Jacobin cuckoo migration
These birds fly in from Africa, guided by shifts in daylight that set off their migration right when food and nesting opportunities peak during monsoon.
Here's where it gets tricky: climate change is starting to mess with this timing, making it harder for cuckoos to find food and suitable hosts.
Nandi believes blending traditional wisdom with modern science could help us protect these delicate connections between birds and their habitats.