A rare glimpse of Blue Throat

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Blue Throat ( Luscinia svecica), a small, migratory, passerine bird, was spotted at the Punchakari-Vellayani wetlands the other day. According to bird watchers, this is the first recorded sighting of this bird in southern Kerala. Earlier sightings were recorded from Kavassery, Palakkad and Kole wetlands of Thrissur.

Blue Throat was sighted at Punchakari by C. Sushanth, P.B. Biju and K.R. Nishanth, bird watchers and members of city-based nature lovers group Warblers and Waders, as part of their pre-waterfowl census 2011 studies.

“Blue Throat, called Neelakanta pakshi in Malayalam, is usually sighted in dry open spaces. It is a species that breeds in Europe and Alaska and migrates to dry, hotter regions during winter. In India it is usually seen in Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and dry regions of North India. It is also a regular winter visitor in the Gulf countries and Iran,” Mr. Sushanth said.

Blue Throat is insectivorous. Male adult birds have a blue coat of feathers at its throat and breast, from which the name is derived. “They are mainly terrestrial, shy and unobtrusive birds and so easily escape observation. At Punchakari we spotted two Blue Throats, a male and a female,” Mr. Sushanth said.

Hot days ahead

He added that the sighting could be an indicator of climatic changes in Thiruvananthapuram. “Other dry habitat birds like the Spoonbill, Painted Stork and Black-headed Ibis have also been spotted. This could also be an indictor of a harsh summer this year,'' he said.

Source: The Hindu, 5-1-2011

Rare bird species sighted in survey

Kozhikode: Several rare species of birds, including a few Red-headed Vultures, were spotted during a dawn-to-dusk bird race organised by a collective of environmental organisations in association with Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Ltd. (HSBC) in Malabar on Sunday.

The bird race organised to commemorate the birth anniversary of Salim Ali, Bird Man of India, was held simultaneously in two other cities besides Kozhikode in the State.

More than 260 species of birds, including some globally threatened genus, were spotted during the race. Red-headed Vulture, Wayanad Laughing Thrush, Malabar Whistling Thrush, Shaheen Falcon, Turn Stone, Rosy Starling and Malabar Trogon were some of the rare birds spotted during the survey.

As many as18 teams, comprising four members representing different northern districts of the State, participated in the event. The Malabar Natural History Society (MNHS) took the lead in conducting the event.

The teams reached their destinations on time to ensure that they started out the race right away from the identified hotspots at 6 a.m.

The teams spent the entire day logging details of the birds roaming across the identified areas. They also made it an occasion to learn about the finer aspects of bird watching from experts.

The teams met at a venue in Kozhikode for dinner and shared their experiences. The participants included children, young enthusiasts, teachers, social activists and nature lovers.

They covered regions from the Western Ghats to the coast exploring almost all the known habitats. It included hotspots such as the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary, Kadalundy Estuary, Aralam Wildlife Sanctuary, Ezhimala Wetland, Porathur Estuary in Malappuram, Nilambur Forest, Janakikkad forest and the Muzhuppilangadu beach.

Prizes were given to the team which spotted the maximum number of species. The team which sighted the rarest bird got an award. The first prize was grabbed by N.R. Anoop and team of Wayanad - it spotted 186 species of birds.

The second prize was won by Dr.Jayan Thomas and team of Kannur district with 123 species and the third prize by a Kannur team represented by Sasidharan Manekara with 117 species.

Red-headed Vulture, which is included in the ‘Red-data Book' of globally threatened species, was spotted by Vishnudas and team from Wayanad. It was also declared as the bird of the day.

Besides HSBC, Kerala Birder, an internet mailing group of bird watchers, Yuhina Eco-Media, the Mumbai-based organisation specialising in natural history and environment-related activities, and the MNHS were the organisers of the event.

Source: The Hindu, 16-11-2010

Avifauna at risk, finds bird survey

The vast tracts of wetlands in central Kerala have been witnessing a considerable increase in the arrival of birds that use kole fields and small water bodies in dry lands as their habitats.

According to an initial survey of the Kerala Bird Race-2010, the Painted Stork and Glossy Ibis that live in the wetlands of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh have been spotted in large numbers in central Kerala.

“Since the birds are considered as an indicator species, the large-scale presence of these species could be seen as an indication of the water bodies in central Kerala drying up'', said P.O. Nameer, head of the wildlife department in the Kerala Agricultural University, Thrissur.

The day-long race conducted in the major bird habitats to spot the avifauna in and around central Kerala, also threw light on the developmental onslaught that is increasingly posing a threat to the existence of the avifauna.

The most interesting finding from the Ernakulam zone was the spotting of a Malabar Pied Hornbill in the low-lying evergreen forest area of the Athirapally region.

Indicating a change in the ecology, the commonly found variety of house sparrows has been declining at an alarming rate over the years.

The other birds that were least spotted during the race included the Night Cranes, Purple Moorhen and the Tailor Bird.

Based on the results of the survey last year, the organisers of the event made a representation to the authorities on the decline of the house sparrows. On the basis of this, a scheme has been implemented for conserving the species which envisages establishing nest boxes in and around Thrissur for facilitating breeding by the bird.


As many as 130-odd birders divided into 31 teams covered an area extending from the kole fields in Thrissur to the birding hotspots in Kottayam and Alappuzha districts, looking for birds. The race was followed by a get-together of the participants at a hotel near Nedumbassery to interact with one another and recount their day's experiences. Prizes were given to the teams which spotted the most number of birds.

At the session, V.A. Sunil Kumar, M.L.A, was presented with an award in absentia for the efforts to preserve the ecology of the kole lands in Thrissur, which has been facing threats from the land mafia.

The event was held as part of commemorating the birthday of renowned ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali on November 12.

Transport Minister Jose Thettayil inaugurated the evening session at which the chief forest conservator B.S. Corrie; environmental activist Sunjoy Monga; and P.O. Nameer spoke. The event was organised by Kerala Birder, an Internet discussion forum for the bird aficionados in association with the HSBC Bank.

Source: The Hindu, 16-11-2010

A feather in the cap of city zoo

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The nesting of Little Grebe, a small water bird, was reported for the first time in south Kerala, on the zoo premises here, during the fourth HSBC BirdRace on Sunday.

The nesting was spotted near the pond inside the zoo during the race, held in seven locations in and around the city, in which 62 birdwatchers, aged between 10 and 70 years, participated. It has been revealed that the museum-zoo compound, the capital's lung space, has considerable bird diversity.

Though the area is a habitat for house sparrow, not even one was sighted, hinting at the decline of this species due to non-availability of food in the city.

Oriental Darter, the endangered and red listed snake bird also has a good population here and the team observed 11 nests with chicks.

Peroorkada, Akkulam wetlands, Punchakari paddy fields-Vellayani Lake and surrounding areas, Arippa–Palode, Chathancode–Vithura, Neyyar Dam-Kottoor and Kallar-Ponmudi were the other sites for the dawn-to-dusk event in the city.

Seven teams

The participants were grouped into seven teams and given binoculars and bird log books. An expert bird watcher accompanied each team. The bird race was coordinated locally by WWF-India, Kerala State Office and Warblers & Waders. Thirty-one species of birds were reported from Peroorkada.

The wetland of the city, Akkulam, was a total disappointment. Only eight species, including Reef Egret, could be sighted. Last year, 61 species were reported from here. Reclamation, construction activities and pollution has led to a complete eviction of water birds like cormorants, darters and ducks from the lake.

Common Kestrel and Black naped Monarch Blue Flycatcher were the important sightings from Kallar-Ponmudi.

The fresh water lake, Vellayani and the paddy fields of Punchakkari provided sighting of rare species like Red necked Falcon and Black capped Kingfisher. Marsh Harrier, Chestnut Bittern and Small Pratincole were the other important sightings.

Back Baza team which surveyed the Arippa Forests won the first prize with a sighting of 87 species. Team Osprey, which studied the Punchakkary paddy fields and Vellayani Lake won the second prize, spotting 70 species. Team Honey Buzzard, who was at the Neyyar Dam-Kottur area won the third prize with 58 species.

The Orange-breasted green pigeon, reported from the zoo premises, was declared the Bird of the Day. A. K. Sivakumar, Coordinator of the Bird Race and Education Officer of WWF-India, and C. Sushanthkumar, Executive Member, Warblers and Waders, were in the judging panel.

In all, 139 species were spotted during the day's event. O. M. Mathew, the oldest participant, and Baby Salini Anil, the youngest, were also given awards. Minister for Forest and Housing Benoy Viswom, who was the chief guest at the valedictory, gave away the prizes.

Source: The Hindu,18-11-2010

Book on birds of Mangalavanam

KOCHI: Spotting the birds nestled in the greenery of a bird sanctuary is never an easy job for a bird enthusiast. Recognising the species is yet more difficult for a commoner. But those who walk into the Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary may not have to struggle for identifying the winged visitors.

A soon-to-be released publication — Birds of Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary — will come to the aid of the visitors to the sanctuary located in the city.

The publication, co-authored by P. O. Nameer, Sheik Hyder Hussain and S. R. Radhakrishnan, has some fine pictures of the birds found here with brief description of the species which would help the visitors to get a basic idea about the species.

Dr. Nameer is the Associate Professor of Wildlife and Head of the Centre for Wildlife Studies of the College of Forestry, Thrissur and Mr. Hussain and Mr. Radhakrishnan are the officials of the Forest Department.

Source: The Hindu, 23-10-2010

Keeping track of seabirds

KANNUR: It was an exciting weekend for them, a group of birdwatchers from the region, who spent two days off the coast here on board a boat for the ‘first Pelagic seabird survey' in the State. The boat trip, up to 30 km from the coast, underlined the importance of organising more such trips to different places in different months for regular monitoring of seabirds.

On September 26, the expedition started from Azhikkal and concluded at Dharmadam.

The next day, the trip commenced again from Azhikkal. It took a different route.

“We had a wonderful first day and an average second day,” said J. Praveen, co-ordinator of the KeralaBirders, an Internet discussion group on the birds of Kerala, which joined the Malabar Natural History Society, in this initiative to survey the seabirds of the region.

According to Jafer Palot, co-ordinator of the survey, it was for the first time that wild species of seabirds were sighted in the sea in the State. All earlier surveys had recorded wind-blown and vagrant species of seabirds, he informed.

Sightings

Among the birds sighted during the trip included three Masked Booby birds including one juvenile which gave ample photo opportunity to the group which included Aralam Wildlife Warden K.V. Uthaman.

This also showed them that the juvenile of this bird was similar to that of Brown Booby, Mr. Praveen said. They also sighted a group of Arctic (Parasitic) Skuas as also Flesh-footed Shearwater, most numerous seabird sighted during the trip. The latter were common around fishing boats and schools of mackerel, the participants in the trip noted.

Birds were less common on the second day of the trip. “We were on the lookout for a Wedge-tailed Shearwater but none could be spotted,” said Dinesh Cheruvat, Deputy Director of Fisheries.

The other species spotted included Bridled Tern, which is known to migrate in large numbers across the West Coast; the Greater Crested Tern, Lesser Crested Tern, Sandwich Tern, Common Tern, Whiskered Tern and White-bellied Sea Eagle, among others.
Also sighted were three butterfly species migrating in the sea, small groups of Wandering Glider, a type of dragon fly.

The team included Dipu Karuthedathu, Mike Prince, Sathyan Meppayur, Vinay Das, H. Sreekumar, Guruprasad Timmappur, K.G. Bimal Nath, Sachin Shurpali, Sandeep Das, Shashank Dalvi, Vijay Ramachandran, V.C. Ajay Shekar, Balakrishnan, P.C. Rajeevan, Jayan Thomas, Khaleel Chovva and A.K. Raju.

Source:The Hindu, 30-9-2010