Proper. I didn’t truly go to Afghanistan for birding. I had one more reason for that, attempting to assist a neighborhood NGO and its initiatives to teach Afghan ladies – one thing that’s extraordinarily essential because of the present Taliban ban on feminine schooling previous sixth grade. In a barely disguised promoting plug, I’ll clarify extra on the finish of this submit (and possibly in another posts describing my travels in Afghanistan). These commercials are for a very good trigger (see above), so I don’t really feel dangerous about them. However after all, you may skip them when getting close to the top of this submit – although that can imply not utilizing your data and expertise to assist Afghan ladies. Oh god, I sound just like the Pope now. Apologies. Not my fashion, often (I hope).
So, birds in Kabul. Although I spent only some hours on the lookout for them (and I didn’t convey binoculars nor a digicam, a bit too apprehensive to be taken for a spy by some keen Talib). This made me verify (to not my nice shock) that an funding in good photographic gear is certainly a very good funding. The photographs taken with my cell phone all suck. Badly. I’m solely together with them on this submit to offer you my real-life Kabul expertise …
4 species are essentially the most simply seen within the few city parks (into which ladies will not be truly allowed to enter – I’m not certain about feminine birds).
These species are …
… Eurasian Tree Sparrow …
… Laughing Dove (the least shy amongst them, making them essentially the most appropriate for cell phone chicken pictures) …
… Widespread Myna (whose Dari identify can be Myna, or one thing very related) …
… and Eurasian Magpie (I’m guessing it’s Eurasian and never one other, very similar-looking magpie).
And naturally, there may be numerous Rock Doves (feral), notably close to one specific mosque . Legend has it that anybody who kills one in every of these pigeons will go blind – for as soon as, a superstition I extremely admire and which I want we may broaden to all different chicken species as effectively.
You should buy chicken feed from an roughly 6-year previous boy standing subsequent to the doves after which feed the pigeons – or outsource this job to a child standing close by, as I did (see under).
Ingesting water can be offered, although it seems a bit doubtful in high quality.
Considerably sadly, Kabul additionally has its share of captive birds. Some are within the zoo, resembling …
… Demoiselle Crane …
… and Bearded Vulture …
… whereas others dwell in cages close to retailers, with the Chukar Partridge a specific favourite …
… or in cages on the chicken market someplace within the bustling downtown bazaar space.
Changing into the top-listed birder for Kabul means you solely have to see 33 species, one indication of the troublesome scenario the nation is in. One other is the truth that among the many birding areas listed for the town, at the very least half of them sound like they’re or had been in all probability kind of off-limits for the frequent Afghan inhabitants – enclaves of excessive safety. At the least website names resembling Hamid Karzai Airport, ISAF Headquarters, US Embassy, UNOCA Compound, or Bagram Air Discipline counsel this to me.
Mainly, that is all I can say about birding in Kabul, I’m afraid. However now that I’ve lined the compulsory birds, listed here are a couple of photographs taken whereas strolling round in Kabul.
And as introduced earlier, some background of what my Afghan mates are doing in Kabul and the way you may have the ability to assist them.
We’re at the moment specializing in two areas – one is getting some mineralogy/geology labs to work once more in order that Afghanistan can get extra worth out of its wealthy assets, and thus create extra jobs for the folks. Anybody with data of the gear on this space and an curiosity in serving to could be very welcome to contact me.
The second, much more urgent space is feminine schooling. We are going to set up a collection of on-line workshops, trainings, and seminars for younger ladies. The subjects for these could cowl a variety however will usually give attention to the event of vital expertise to empower these ladies. In case you are curious about being a part of this and are prepared to share your data with Afghan ladies from numerous backgrounds, please contact me at kai.pflug at gmail.com (see additionally the contact web page of this web site). I might be very completely satisfied to supply extra particulars.