Jatinga is a small village in Dima Hasao District of Assam. Like other hill stations it is blessed by nature and scenes which can adorn any photograph or painting!
However, what differentiates Jatinga from any other normal travel getaway in India is the bird suicide mystery!
Now I know many places in Assam like Missamari or Rangapara which many would not have heard of but this was one place which was new even for me!
The Jatinga Bird Suicide mystery is a click bait since according to this story, it is believed that birds from several geographical locations come here not to mate, migrate or do something else but to commit suicide.
This strange phenomenon has caught the interest of scientists and ornithologists alike!
Interestingly this happens in a narrow area between August and November, where hundreds of local and migratory birds tragically plummet to their deaths at night!
Now of course research has shed some LIGHT on the real cause of this phenomenon.
This mass mortality happens when dense fog and reverse winds disorient the birds, causing them to crash into artificial lights and trees, where villagers previously struck them down.
The phenomenon occurs along a narrow 1.5-km strip in Jatinga, a village in the Dima Hasao district of Assam, India.
It predominantly happens on foggy, moonless nights between 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM, usually when air currents and monsoon rains reverse.
Nocturnal and diurnal species, particularly juveniles, become disoriented by strong winds and the village’s bright lights, causing them to plummet toward the glow!
Extreme weather and sudden changes in barometric pressure disrupt the birds’ natural navigational and biological rhythms. The artificial lights also add to the confusion! Drawn to the lights of the village as a refuge, the birds fly low and become dazed.
Historically, locals mistook these nighttime avian drops for evil spirits, prompting them to knock the disoriented birds out of the sky with bamboo poles!
Finally wildlife officials, ornithologists, and conservation groups have actively educated the villagers.
Superstitions have largely been dispelled, and mass killings have significantly dropped. Today, authorities encourage observing and studying this fascinating natural occurrence rather than harming the wildlife!
Knowledge has literally given a new light to the amazing phenomenon! Behind any such ‘magic’ is the knowledge which is just waiting to be gained!
Magic also was the acting prowess of Gopishantha aka Manorama!
Hope you learnt something today!
Shubh ratri…
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