For some, it’s a hobby while for others, a commercial motive that pushed them to bird breeding. They, nevertheless, share a common interest —- love for their airborne companions.

Of late, the community has scripted remarkable tales of breeding the exotic cage birds. While Lovebirds, Budgerigars, Cockatiels have been perennial favourites, Kolkata has seen successful captive breeding of rare ones like Rossella and Waydha.

“An original inhabitant of South Africa, Waydha is of two inch in size and flutters an eight inch tail. One of our members successfully bred the bird recently and for the first time we displayed it in our exhibition,” says Prakash Roy, vice-president of All Bengal Bird Lover’s Organisation.

For Pranabesh Mitra of Bird Breeder’s Association , it was a natural choice as he had grown up among the Lovebirds and Cockatiels at home. “My father was passionate for bird rearing. I took up the baton and gradually moved towards the breeding and commercial sale,” he says.

Coloured wings, melody of tweeting is fine, but how does one understand the movements of these mute beings? “It takes loads of patience and dedication which comes only if one genuinely loves birds,” says Mitra. “There is only one thumb rule —- observe! You have to watch them minutely, for hours to interpret their postures. Their movements will tell you when they are hungry, frightened or ill,” says a bird lover.

Few know that breeding demands expert eyes to determine sex of birds.

Now a note of caution: Do not keep wild birds in cage. One must bear in mind the thin line that separates illegal trade of wild Indian birds from the breeding and sale of endangered exotic birds.

The exotic cage birds like Cockatiel, Lovebirds, Java Sparrows and Budgerigars are domesticated species, which are capable of completing their entire life cycle in captivity. These are mostly foreign species, which have been used to live in captivity since generations. With their numbers dwindling, releasing these birds in wilderness will only kill them.

So could I be a bird-breeder also? Yeah, if you have the requisite passion. All you need is a small set up on your terrace. It’s good to have a caged enclosure to prevent predatory animals like owls and wild cats. Bird rearing can be pursued as a hobby but if you are interested in taking it up as a commercial venture, you will have to be willing to cough up a hefty amount. Of course, it depends on what kind of birds you want to breed. A pair of Baby Macaws, for instance, can cost up to Rs 1.5 lakh.

Moreover, there are no proper guidebooks available in the city to guide the beginner through the nuances of bird rearing, especially in Indian conditions. Plus, there are no trained vets or personnel qualified in avian science.

“Our vets are trained to treat diseases of hens but exotic cage birds are different. “We have to bank on our own experiences and consult a fellow bird breeder when we need a second opinion on something,” says a bird breeder.