Spice of Life: Fight or flight response gives hysterical strength to parents

Chilled winds blew as the aftermath of rain while I sat on a chair overlooking the garden. The trees and plants swayed with the wind and their leaves rustled a different melody with every gush. The scent of wet mud hung in the air and each breath was refreshing. As I turned the page of the book I was reading, I could hear the delightful sound of a bird singing in the distance. The serenity of the environment put the usually oh-so-talkative mind to a silent state.

The tranquillity lasted until the bird’s song took a delightful to dreadful transition. A couple more birds joined in and they all screeched as if their lives depended on it. I shifted my gaze from the book to the nest my father had bought some months ago. The spherical nest had a small hole as its opening. My father had strategically positioned it. It hung by a nail, directly underneath the ceiling of the balcony so rain could pose no danger to its fragile texture. It was high enough that no cat could jump up to gobble up its residents. For the first few months, the nest remained devoid of visitors but recently, two sparrows decided to temporarily book the place to lay eggs in the well-stationed nest.

While it was safe from cat attacks, it could still be attacked by bigger birds. I say this because at that time, it was under attack by two birds twice the size of its residents! Two mynas were peeking inside while the sparrows continued to scream loudly.

In my panicked state to save the hatchlings, I dropped the book and grabbed the day’s newspaper, ready to fling it at the intruders. Instead, what I witnessed took me by surprise. The two sparrows halted their raucous crying and attacked the trespassing mynas with their beaks. The result was instantaneous. The bigger birds flew away and perched themselves on a nearby tree. The small sparrows did not stop and danced around the branches of the tree, perhaps, to annoy the bigger birds. Ultimately, the unsolicited visitors evacuated the premises. Once again, a calm environment enveloped the surroundings.

The sound of a train honk filled the air but the even faster train of my thoughts kept me pondering. How could those little birds summon the energy to drive away the strong bullies that threatened the lives of their children? What led them to attack and be successful in their attempt?

There is a phenomenon of ‘hysterical strength’ that takes place, although rarely, when a person faces extreme distress, usually perilous in nature. Scientists have not yet understood the full extent of this phenomenon but it is said that it is an exaggerated version of ‘fight or flight’ response in a human.

The love of parents for their children is unconditional and their love transcends all bounds. This love is common not only in humans but also in animals and birds. Perhaps, it was the love of the birds for their eggs in the nest that gave them the ‘hysterical strength’ to attack birds twice their size. American author Jim DeMint was right when he said, “One of the greatest titles in the world is parent, and one of the biggest blessings in the world is to have parents to call mom and dad.”

The writer is an Amritsar-based freelance contributor and can be reached at writer.sargunsingh@gmail.com.