"On the trail of the bird of prey" Web site Login by Late "Shihab Thangal" Report in The Hindu daily .(29.10.2007)

J.S. Bablu

Zubair Medammal of Kozhikode has launched a web site devoted to falcons.

KOZHIKODE: Zubair Medammal was denied a job to work as sweeper or keeper of falcon cages at the H.H. Sheikh Zayed Falcon Research Hospital in Abu Dhabi.

This made him determined to study about falcons and take a doctorate in the subject. The fruit of his labour is a web site devoted to falcons, birds known to be great hunters of prey, and has induced a rich Arab tradition of falconry. The web site was launched recently in Kozhikode. When he first approached E.A. Abdul Shukoor, who was with the Wildlife Department at Farook College with the idea of doing research on falcons, Dr. Shukoor asked, “Are you mad. You will need an aeroplane to follow this bird.”

It was an expensive research that cost him lakhs of rupees. He had to fly 42 times around the world as part of his research. He had eight visiting visas (800 days), spending lakhs of rupees. Dr. Zubair, who did his postgraduation in Wildlife Biology from Farook College, is now a scientist in the Zoology Department of Calicut University. His research work took six years. “Dr. Shukoor was my guide and P.A. Azeez, director of the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON), my co-guide. I am planning to bring it out as a book in English, Arabic and Malayalam languages,” said Dr. Zubair.

The web site, >www.falconpedia.com, has sonogram of 15 different vocalisations of various species of the falcon. Dr. Zubair spent months in the Western Ghats in search of the bird. Falcons migrate there during a particular season. Falcons are also found in the Rajasthan deserts bordering Pakistan, which, according to Dr. Zubair, is the origin of the falcons.

The web site was inaugurated by IUML State president Panakkad Sayyed Muhammedali Shihab Thangal here on last Wednesday.