The state forest department is going to take fresh re-count of the harriers at Blackbuck National Park (BNP), at Velavadar in Bhavnagar district, in the second week of the January 2011.
Recently, forest department and volunteers had conducted population estimation
Of harriers at BNP and around 895 harriers were recorded. BNP is world’s largest communal roosting site of harriers, which are now among the endangered species.
According to J.S.Solanki, assistant conservator of forest, BNI earlier in September, forest officials had counted harriers and about 1,300 were spotted at BNP “We had hoped that due to the good monsoon, more harriers would come this year but, in the recent population estimation process, about 895 harriers were reported. It is possible that harriers may have stayed in other grassland in nearby areas and might come to BNP later so, in order to better understand this situation, we decided to conduct the again population estimation again,” said Solanki.
Unlike last few years, the prolonged monsoon and good rainfall in the region would have replenished food chain for the harriers around the BNP and other areas as well. The slender, long, bare-legged, long- winged and long- tailed hawks with an owl-like facial Ruff, Harriers are considered as farmers’ friends as they are predators. Their diet includes large insects and especially Locust, Fish, Reptiles especially Snakes, Lizards and Skinks, birds (both land and water) and small mammals (rodents).
“Of the l6 Harrier species in the world, four types of harriers migrate to BNP every year. These include Montagu Harriers, Pallid Harriers, Eurasian Marsh Harriers and Hen Harriers. All the four species have arrived,” said R L Meena, Chief Conservator of Forest, Junagadh circle (wildlife).
“There may be many factors behind the less number of harriers making it to BNP this season. We need to understand the situation with further studies,” Meena said.
Courtesy:- Times Of India.
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