Rare Indian pitta spotted on Kasturba Hospital campus in central Mumbai

A rare, brightly coloured bird, the Indian pitta, also known as navrang, has been seen on the premises of Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai. Amid the crowds of patients, the rush of treatment and constant activity at the hospital, the bird came as a pleasant surprise to all.

The bird was spotted by Dr Mangesh Pawar, a plastic surgeon at Nair Hospital. Dr Pawar has to do duty in Kasturba's burns ward. He had gone there on Saturday morning when he saw the navrang. Dr Pawar is himself a birdwatcher and travels to different places in the state to study birds. His sighting has excited bird lovers.

The Indian pitta is known as navrang because of its many-coloured plumage. With striking shades of green, blue, yellow, orange, red and black, the bird is very beautiful to look at. It is usually found in dense scrub and forest areas, so its appearance on a hospital campus in the crowded central part of Mumbai is particularly noteworthy.

The Indian pitta is mainly found in Kerala and Sri Lanka. It is seen only occasionally in the Konkan and Western Ghats region as well. This is the migration season for the bird, and it comes as far as the Karnala area near Mumbai. Dr Pawar said it was remarkable that it had moved beyond Karnala and appeared directly in central Mumbai, on the Kasturba Hospital campus.

The recorded sighting will need to be studied for what it shows about bird migration, habitat and changes in the environment in the metropolis.

Dr Pawar said, "I had no idea at all that an Indian pitta would be seen in a crowded city like Mumbai, and that too on the Kasturba Hospital campus. In the middle of the hospital's daily routine, I suddenly saw this guest of nine colours. Seeing its colours and beauty, my eyes would not move away for a moment. Nature gives us the gift of joy in such unexpected moments, and it is an unforgettable experience."

The sighting has once again underlined the importance of preserving the city's trees, greenery and natural habitat friendly to birds. The navrang has given a pleasant reminder that nature has kept its presence alive even in the concrete jungle.