An IIT professor finds immense joy in birding

The Hindu

20-05-2025

For Susy Varughese, a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Madras, birdwatching is not a separate hobby she pushes into a packed calendar; it is part of life. 'Birding happens along the way,' she says.
An active member of Chennai's birding community, she can tune into bird calls even during morning walk or while sitting at home with a cup of tea. 'I am reasonably good at identifying birds through their calls, especially the species in my patch. I can prepare checklists of birds while doing a walk in the morning or even by just listening from inside the house, especially at dawn or late at night,' says Ms. Susy.
Living on the IIT Madras campus has largely been an influence as it is her favourite birding spot in Chennai. 'Birds are found in all types of habitats and geographical locations, but the species diversity will vary. Many species we find in Chennai may not be there in Kerala or vice versa. It depends on the type of climatic zones and vegetation, and positioning of the place. For example, if the land mass is on a migratory path, you may find more species during the migratory season,' says Ms. Varughese, adding Chennai, as it turns out, is one of those places. From late September to early May, migratory birds drop in and stay for a while.
Asked if birding has influenced her profession, she responds thoughtfully. 'Nature inspires everything I do. What I get from immersing in these activities such as birding is that it refreshes, rejuvenates, and refills me with energy and novel ideas,' says Ms. Varughese.
Interpretation of nature
For her, engineering and science are human interpretation of what nature has mastered through evolution over millions of years. 'All engineering and scientific theories we teach such as fluid mechanics or mass transfer, heat transfer, materials, sensors, controllers and intelligent information/energy storage and transfer can be learnt from living systems around us,' she explains.
Her recent birding activities include observing the Indian Grey Hornbill over the past two years on and off, a species she finds particularly exciting to see here. 'Sometimes, I have travelled to do birdwatching, one of them is the Eagles Nest Sanctuary in Arunachal Pradesh. We did a dedicated 10-day birding in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh many years ago,' she says.
Her love for birds began early. As a child, she was fascinated by sunbird nests near her grandmother's home and warblers flitting through pepper plants during winter. Her curiosity began to grow in her 5th grade by 'Eureka', a children's science magazine, published by the Kerala Shastra Sahitya Parishad. 'But there was none to guide me into 'birding' as we know it today,' she says.
Sketching and rescue
'I satisfied my curiosity by sketching bird pictures or watching them endlessly. During school, I also had a Myna and Malabar Vernal Parakeet rescued as they fell from the nests.'
Well, clearly these early encounters, coupled with her innate nature, laid the foundation for a lifelong passion for birdwatching, one that continues like a quiet joy alongside her scientific career.