The Common Tailorbird that chose my backyard. I didn't go looking for this story. It came and nested right outside my window. For five years now, a pair of Common Tailorbirds has been breeding in my backyard in Palakkad. Same pair or their descendants — I can't say for sure. But every year, without fail, sometime around mid-April, the familiar loud calls start up again. And I know — they are back. It starts with the courtship. Loud, energetic calls from early morning, mostly