By Jay Jayaraj
There are hundreds if not thousands of birds, mostly pigeons, that feed along Doha’s popular Corniche area. It’s a beautiful and calming sight. On one side there is the glorious ocean reflecting the clear blue mid-eastern sky and on the other are the flocks of dark feathered creatures pecking away at their food, almost undisturbed by the random curious child who tries to touch them.
I was busy snapping some shots of these happy birds and scenery just a kilometre away from Sheraton Doha one bright afternoon when I was approached by a man. Clad in a faded white shalwar kameez, he came to me in full-on Urdu.
“Hey, ladki (girl),” he called at me, followed by a jumble of Urdu words. In that moment, I had no clue that he was actually addressing me as I spoke nor understood any Urdu. Quickly realising this, the man switched to English.
“If you want to get nearer to these birds, you have to feed them. Then, they will slowly warm up to you and get near you,” he said, as he handed me a roti (a round flatbread staple in the subcontinent) he had just picked up from one of two huge polystyrene sacks he had by his side.
He took another roti, placed it in between his palms and started rubbing them together vigorously till the dry roti broke and fell around him in small bits. Within seconds, hundreds of birds circled around the man, feeding at his feet.
“Now, go. You do the same thing over there, I will take your photograph with the birds,” he said to me with a sense of authority in his voice.
Trusting him with my camera, I did as told. A wave of pigeons flew to where I was, and soon, another flock joined in. Suddenly, I was crowded by a sea of dark pigeons pecking away manically, drawing much attention from a few tourists nearby.
“Just keep doing that, and soon they will trust you enough to eat from your hand,” he said while clicking away some shots for me. I was a little conscious in the beginning but soon, I began to let loose and enjoy the experience. The sight of the birds feeding around me was overwhelming, but it was also 38 Celsius in an open bay area and I was feeling the direct heat after 10 minutes despite having my head covered with a scarf.
The heat and noon sun, however, does not bother Javed Khan, 49, a Pakistani who is a long-time resident in Doha. The father of four is a regular at the area and he spends about two hours daily, just feeding the birds with obvious glee on his sun-tanned face.
“I feed them and they come back the same time every day, which is usually after the Zuhr prayers. It’s a nice hobby. There’s something gratifying about all of this. I come here, there’re the birds, there’s water and there’s sun. When I came here earlier, my energy level was down but now I’m energised and I fell lighter. It’s peaceful,” he explained.
Having started feeding the birds almost a year ago, Javed said he has been learning a lot about the birds and their behavioural patterns by simply watching and later, reading about them on the Internet. The knowledge doesn’t go to waste. Javed also teaches people about feeding and since then, the crowd in the area has started growing along with the flocks of birds. He admitted that he got upset whenever there were those who’d want to catch or intentionally hurt the birds. The social aspect of his activity is satisfying for him as he enjoys meeting new people, making friends, talking and learning about their lives in the country. He’s also very proud that he’s able to represent Doha in his own way and promote the country when he encounters tourists as he feeds the birds.
He added that there are many types of birds that feed along the Corniche, but most are pigeons. Some of these birds were brought in and let-loose by the locals and expatriates. Breeding has resulted in more birds, many of which now live in the West Bay buildings. He added that migratory birds also make Corniche a nice place for bird-watching as well.
“Doha is developing. New buildings and skyscrapers only provide new nesting opportunities for these birds, especially pigeons. In the last few years, many other spots have emerged in the city where people feed pigeons too. With time, new birds are coming including migratory birds from places like Russia,” he added, describing the pigeons in the area as “well-fed VIP birds”.
For the food, Javed collects heaps of rotis from several bakeries when he has less money but also buys seeds whenever he can. Apart from the birds, he also feeds the fish in the ocean.
“To feed the small fish, I break the roti and throw it in the shallow waters. I swing out these big rotis, like a frisbee, far into the sea for the bigger fish. It’s amazing how the gets cleaned up after a while. In the winter, when the water is cooler you can see thousands of tiny baby fish in the water too,” said Javed as he swung across and sent a big piece of roti farther into the ocean. In a minute, the bread was snapped up by a school of fish.
At home, the animal lover has a pet cat, a third generation from a rescued feline. He enjoys feeding the strays that he encounters outside his regular eateries too.
“Back at home, I feed my children but when I’m outside, I feed these birds and animals. I think feeding has become a habit for me. It’s that nurturing part of me,” said the father of four.
Three days after my encounter with Javed, I happened to drive pass the Corniche, and there he was in the noon sun on a week day, feeding the birds while talking to them all by himself. Now that it’s Ramadan and due to other obligations, Javed may not be regularly feeding the birds but he still does what he loves doing when time permits.
“When we respect and care for other species or animals around us, we truly become human as we are able to demonstrate another way to love and care. That’s my way of filling this life with good deeds, happiness and satisfaction,” he said.
HAPPY: Javed Khan feeding the birds along the Corniche.
