There is a modesty in their conquest of mountains. From tall trees on high ridges, they scan the landscape, their heads turning on long and graceful necks. They have scaled peaks, even surpassed them. Yet, they speak only in soft and hushed tones that resonate among stately trees. For, the imperial pigeons are a dignified lot, keeping the company of great trees.
… This post first appeared in The Hindu Sunday Magazine on 6 May 2012. Read more in The Wild Heart of India: Nature and Conservation in the City, the Country, and the Wild.