Mirshikar

The mirshikar are a Muslim community, found in North India, who were traditionally hunters and trappers of birds and small animals. Some were recorded as bird-catchers in Bihar around 1964.^[1]

Mirshikar

Regions with significant populations
India Bangladesh Pakistan Afghanistan
Languages
Urdu Hindi
Religion
Islam

Practices

In one mirshikar community in Bihar, young men needed to prove themselves fit for marriage by catching a loha sarang, the black-necked stork known for being vicious. The practice was stopped when a boy was killed in the process.^[2]

Ali Hussain, from a mirshikar community in Manjhaul, is acclaimed for his work as a bird trapper for the Bombay Natural History Society. He worked with Salim Ali and other ornithologists to aid the marking and study of birds. In 1998, he was flown to Jackson County, Mississippi, US, and during his one-week visit, he demonstrated his trapping techniques and helped capture 10% of the sandhill crane population in the state.^[3] His method is now standard in crane research.^[4] In 1998, the Films Division of India recorded a documentary featuring Hussain.^[5]

References

1. George, P.V. (1964). "Notes on migrant birds of north Bihar". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society. 61 (1): 370–384.
2. Grubh, B.R.; Shekar, P.B. (1968). "Blacknecked Stork (Xenorhynchus asiaticus) and the marriage of Mirshikars". Newsletter for Birdwatchers. 8 (3): 1–2.
3. Hereford, S.G.; Grazia, T.E.; Nagendran, M.D.; Hussain, Ali (2001). "Use of traditional Indian trapping methods to capture sandhill cranes". North American Crane Workshop Proceedings. p. 220.
4. Parker, Jeannette M.; Folk, Martin J.; Baynes, Stephen B.; Candelora, Kristen L. (2008). "Use of Clap Traps in Capturing Nonmigratory Whooping Cranes in Florida". North American Crane Workshop Proceedings. Paper 196.
5. "Birdman. News Magazine. 370. Directed by Shankar Patnaik. Produced in 1998". Films Division, India. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2016.