It was a blissful Saturday afternoon until my brother and I found an olive thrush nest which had fallen from a banana tree where it was built. Our farm helper had accidentally moved the tree as he was removing a banana stalk from a nearby tree.

The nest had an already hatched chick and an egg.

As we searched through the area, we realized the mother was always watching from a distance and when we got inside the house, she would fly next to the tree where she had built the nest and watch her kindling.

The chick was moving in its nest as it opened its beak systematically, as we tried to touch it, as if anticipating for food. Since the mother never came next to its nest, we tried giving the hatched chick some normal chick feed mixed with warm water, but to no avail it did not respond to the feeding. Lacking ideas, we kept the nest at a safe place where the mother could easily come if she saw it worthy and feed her chick and to also avoid predators.

Monitoring the situation until sunset, nothing major happened and the next morning the chick had died, probably due to hypothermia and lack of food.

Scientifically, female birds have always been known to take care of their eggs or chicks even when touched by other beings such as humans but for this bird it was different. I’m still puzzled by that day’s event.

Considering this situation, imagine how many species of birds loose their offspring due to deforestation practices. Countless of birds die and this could easily cause extinction of several bird species. In light of this, trees are very crucial in the survival of certain bird species as this is their home.

If you imagine someone coming and destroying the house you worked hard to build, then you wouldn’t go out and destroy their habitat. Save trees and plant more this year. Conserve and protect.