Harriers’ arrival at (Black-Buck National Park) BNP, Velavadar, Gujarat, India sets off Diwali sparkle

The Birds Have Started Coming Early This Season

Harriers, a rare and endangered species, have started arriving in large numbers at Black- Buck National Park (BNP), Velavadar, from Siberia. This news is sure to add an extra sparkle to Diwali celebrations by bird watchers, who are preparing to set out to watch the wildlife this winter season. Forest department officials said compared to previous years, Harriers arrived early this season at BNP Velavadar in Bhavnagar, their largest communal roosting site in the world.
“Harriers started arriving at the park from September 15. They generally arrive by September end. The numbers of birds are also significantly high,” said a forest official, estimating it at around 1,500. Of the 16 Harrier species, at least four - Montagu, Pallid, Eurasian Marsh and Hen - arrive at BNP every year.
“Harriers have arrived in good numbers. November will be the peak period,” Assistant Conservator of Forests, BNP, Velavadar, J S Solanki said.
The forest department would conduct a population estimation exercise of Harriers at BNP by November end. It expects arrival of around 2500 Harriers in the park.
Harriers, the slender, long barelegged, long-winged and long-toiled hawks with an owl-like facial ruff, are farmers’ friends, experts say. Their diet includes large insects, especially locust, fish, snakes, lizards, skinks, birds (both of land and water) and small mammals (rodents).
Harriers are vital indicators of the health of the ecosystem. Harriers adapt to a lifestyle in open landscapes having habitats like wetlands, grasslands, crop fields, salt marshes and dry barren lands. Harriers often roost communally at night, both on passage and in winter quarters,” another forest official said. The Harriers are the only diurnal ‘raptor group or birds of prey’ that nest and roost on the ground.
“Harriers generally start congregating at the site about half-an- hour or so prior to sunset. They spend time pre-roosting in open ground close to their roost she, engaging themselves in resting, preening and vocalizing. This is probably done to attract others to increase the flock size. Just after sunset, an intensive inspection of grasslands – their roost site – is carried out and within half an hour they settle down to roost. Early morning, around sunrise, they leave the roost and head towards their respective foraging grounds,” Solanki said.

Courtesy:- Times Of India.