Let us tell you about another lovely desert pigeon which is the resident of the arid and dry zones of the African continent. This is Emerald-spotted wood dove which is a species of open drier deciduous woodland and second growth and normally it is absent from evergreen rainforests and semidesert areas. The scientific name of the Emerald-spotted wood dove is Turtur chalcospilos and its global population size has not been quantified, because it is normally found in abundance.

An Emerald-spotted wood dove in a tree – Image by Carol Foil on flickr

Emerald-spotted Wood Dove is a small plump pigeon, typically 20 cm in length. Its back, hindneck, wings and tail are pale grey brown, and the folded wings have green metallic patches. There are blackish bands on the lower back and tail. The forehead, crown and nape are bluish grey, fading to pinkish grey on the throat. The underparts are mauve-pink, becoming whiter on the belly. The bill of this dove is blackish with a red base. The sexes are similar, but the female may be slightly duller than the male.

The Emerald-spotted Wood Dove – A lovely pigeon of the desert – Image by Derek Keats 

This lovely desert pigeon like the laughing dove builds a flimsy stick nest in a tree or shrub, and lays two cream-coloured eggs. Both sexes of the Emerald-spotted Wood Dove incubate for 13–17 days to hatching, and feed the squabs for 13–17 days to fledging.

How sad it would be to find the wild Bactrian camel as permanently extinct species in the near future because this rare and unique animal is critically in danger. This two humped camel is the native animal of the deserts of Mongolia and China. According to an estimate, presently there are only less than 1,000 wild Bactrian camels in the world. The wild Bactrian camel is biologically known as “Camelus bactrianus” and most of the surviving wild Bactrian camels dwell in the remote and deserted areas of the Chinese nuclear test range.

The wild Bactrian camel

The wild Bactrian camel has a unique quality that it can survive by drinking even a saltwater slush. The other species of camel are not able to adopt this quality. This amazing feature has been developed in the wild Bactrian camel as a result of living in extreme desert conditions for thousands of years and thus an immune system is developed in their bodies which could prove resistant to certain types of disease. In China the wild Bactrian camel are found in the Gobi desert range which has extreme climatic conditions. In this area there is no fresh water only the saline variety which bubbles up to the surface from underground springs and on which the wild Bactrian camel survives. No other living creature, not even the domestic camel, can drink it.

The two humped Bactrian camel in wild

There are some breeding and protection programmes by the Mongolian and the Chinese authorities and a small captive population of the wild Bactrian camel is also kept in Mongolia and China. The wild Bactrian camel is normally targeted by hunters seeking food, sport, or merely to protect their own domestic animals which compete with the camels for grazing space.  In October 2002, the estimated 800 remaining in the wild in northwest China and Mongolia were classified as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Globe Mallow is a flowering plant of dry and desert climate which has more than 40 species. With some of the special species found in South America, the most of its species grow in the North American region. This flowering plant is commonly known as Globe Mallow. Sometimes it is also called as False Mallow.

Globe Mallow Plant : Photo : Elizabeth Bickel

Globe Mallow, the desert beauty is a grayish herbal plant which normally grows in larger clumps. Maple shaped leaves and erected branches are identical in Globe Mallow and this plant can gain the height of 30 to 40 inches. The best thing associated with Globe Mallow is the marvelous display of unique orange flowers in the rainy season. Globe Mallow is a tough plant which falls in the most drought-resistant member of the Mallow Family (Malvaceae). Globe Mallow is also a favorite source of food for the grazing animals. Botanically, Globe Mallow is known as Sphaeralcea. Normally Globe Mallows are considered as the producers of orange flowers but in some species, Globe Mallows also produce flowers in pink, purple , white and red shades.

Globe Mallow Flowers . Photographer : Marty Abelson

Globe Mallows attract humming birds and butterflies towards them. The ideal way to grow Globe Mallow is to cultivate them in sunny and hot climate. In the shaded places they will grow leggy. Globe Mallow, the desert beauty is a self-seed plant and on the need the seedlings can be moved and transplanted in the fall. Globe Mallow needs lesser attention and care. They don’t require any specific fertilization, neither they need the plenty of irrigation. Although reasonable irrigation may result in superb flowering and appearance of Globe Mallows. In the past, Globe Mallows were used by the Indians for the treatment of diarrhea, sore throats, eye problems and for many skin diseases as well. Their roots are used for the preparation of the herbal medicines for curing the swollen joints and broken bones.

Arabian Oryx , the unicorn antelope is rebounded from extinction with the efforts of IUCN through their captive breeding program and now their population is almost grown back with almost 1000 individuals. There was a time when Arabin Oryx was found largely throughout the Middle East. But they were ruthlessly hunted by Arabian princes in the start of the 19^th centuries and till the 1980’s they were almost extinct.  Arabian Oryx love to live in gravel desert or hard sand and now they have been reintroduced in the hard sand areas of  Oman, Saudi Arabia, Israel, United Arab Emirates, and Jordan.

Arabian-Oryx-Ashton-photos. © Arabian Deserts : Middle East

The Unicorn Arabian Oryx is known as re’em in Hebrew and their diet mainly consists of vegetation like  trees, buds, herbs, fruit, tubers and roots. The adult Arabian Oryx may be of 65-75 KG and normally they prefer to live in groups consisting of  8 – 20 animals. But Arabian Oryx have also been reported in herds of up to 100. The female Arabian Oryx is mature enough to give birth between the ages of 25 and 46 months. No particular season for birth of young Arabin Oryx is observed. The female Arabian Oryx may produce a calf yearly under favorable conditions. The average age of Arabian Oryx is 20 years. The Arabian Oryx are socially compatible with each other and they pass the hotter part of the day lying and resting under the tree shades.

Arabian Oryx , the unicorn antelope which was already extinct  from the world due to over hunting and they were classified endangered on the IUCN Red List ,even now the reintroduced wild Arabian Oryx is under the extreme threat of poaching. In the late 1990’s almost 200 of reintroduced Arabian Oryx were killed again by hunters in Oman.

Reshma is a popular folk singer of Pakistan and known as Nightingale of the Desert for her mesmerizing voice. Born in 1937, Reshman did not acquire the education but due to her amazing singing talent she owes a strong fan base of Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi and Hindi speaking communities all over the world.

Reshma, Folk Singer of Pakistan

Reshma was born in Loha village in Tehsil Ratangarh of Rajasthan, India in a big clan of gypsy family and moved to Pakistan after the partition of Indian in 1947. Perhaps the anguish reflecting in her sweet desert voice reflects the sufferings of vagrant life wandering for the comfort. In fact it is impossible to describe her voice but Reshma sings for humanity and the mother earth. Her voice is contemplation of embracing life and agitating for survival.

She elaborates by her singing that we are the off springs of our mother earth and our inner souls are dependent on earth’s joy and grieves. Her vocals utter all the charms and harshness of nomadic life in the desert.

Reshma was firstly introduced in the Pakistan radio and soon the spell of her splendorous voice was all around. She sung many outclass songs but the most famous of them  are ‘Dama Dam Mast Qalandar’, ‘Hai o Rabba nahion lagda dil mera’, ‘Sun charkhe di mithi mithi cook mahiya meinu yaad aunda’, ‘Wey main chori chori’, ‘Ankhiyan no rehen de ankhyan de kol kol’. Her many popular numbers were sung by Indian singers like ‘Lambi Judai’ who was used in famous Bollywood movie Hero and ‘Ankhyon ko rehne de’, sung by Lata Mangashker the Indian iconic female singer.

Reshma has also played a significant role as an ambassador of peace and harmony and considering her services the Indian government offered her to stay in India permanently which she rejected with thanks. She was awarded Sitara-e-Imtiaz (Madel of Honor) by the government of Pakistan. Currently she is suffering from cancer disease and her health condition does not allow to sing her anymore. But her voice will remain alive in the hearts of the people of Pakistan and India as the motif of affection, altruism and humanity forever.