Birds of A Feather

A week end hangout at Thol lake, roughly 40 km from Ahemdabad(connected to all major Indian Cities equipped with International Aiport daily flights from Delhi and Mumbai), always rejuvenating. Recently water levels in this lake spread over 700 hectares have risen to 6.9 feet due to release of Narmada waters. As a result, nearly 150 flamingos have moved away to distance where water are shallow. However, two pairs of Sarus Crane make a treat for the eyes as they stand tall amid lush green grass. They have also laid eggs there. At present, there are 100 spoon bills, 1,000 coots, 1500 cormorants besides other waders. TOI(Times of India) lensman Amrit Mewada captured some winged beauties.

Here are some Photos

Courtesy:- Times of India

Birding in Bhutan

Bhutan is enormously rich in bird diversity. Of the 675 species recorded, 78% are resident and breeding, 7% are passage migrant, 8% are winter visitor, 6% are uncertain and 1% fall in the data deficient category; 27% show elevational migrations.

 Bhutan has two critically endangered (white-bellied heron Ardea insignis is white rumped vulture), one endangered, 12 vulnerable (black-necked crane Grus nigricollis, rufous-necked hornbill Aceros nipalensis, chestnut-breasted partridge Arborophila mandellii, Pallas’s fish eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus, beautiful nuthatch Sitta Formosa, wood snipe Gallinago nemoricola, Blyth’s tragopan Tragopan blythii, greater spotted eagle Aquila clanga, Imperial eagle Aquila heliaca, Baer’s pochard Aythya baeri, Hodgson’s bushcat Saxicola insignis, dark-rumped swift Apus acuticauda, and grey-crowned prinia Prinia cinereocapilla), 11 near-threatened, and 11 restricted range bird species (Blyth’s tragopan Tragopan blythii, chestnut-breasted partridge Arborophila mandellii, dark-rumped swift Apus acuticauda, ward’s trogon Harpactes wardi, rufous-throated wren babbler Spelaeornis caudatus, hoary-throated barwing Actinodura nipalensis, brown-throated fulvetta Alcippe ludlowi, white-naped yuhina Yuhina bakeri, yellow-vented warbler Phylloscopus cantator, and broad-billed warbler Tickellia hodgsoni) as per IUCN 2003.

On a global scale, the country is recognized as forming a part of several globally important bird regions. It is a part of the Sino-Himalayan mountain forests, Indo-Burmese forests, Indo-Gangetic grasslands, South Asian arid habitats, and Tibetan plateau wetlands – all categorized as globally important bird regions by BirdLife International.’

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Avian Wonder: Birds Conduct Survey before nesing

It is not just human beings who usually undertake a survey before launching a new venture. Even birds are known to carry out survey before finding a nesting place for themselves.

A flock migratory Asian bird has already begun a survey in and around Kankaria lake. The survey is a part of their nesting activity at Kamala Nehru Zoo, popularly known as Kankaria Zoo.

Over 2000 Migratory birds, including Spoonbill, White Ibis, Little Cormorant, Night Heron and Cattle Egrets, have been coming to the zoo for nesting. “Over 2000 birds come to the zoo for nesting. This year, these birds have already begun their initial activities”, said R.K. Sahu, zoo superintendent.

“Before the birds finally come to the zoo for nesting, a group of 10-15 birds comes to the area and carries out the survey about the availability of food and water in the lake. Once this group is satisfies with the facilities, it goes back only to return with a larger group of suck birds”.

According to Sahu, the area is best suited for nesting because of the greenery and a lake with good fish. The water is also suitable for these birds.

The nesting season begins by June 15 and continues till October and November. Birds like Cattle Egret, Little Cormorant and Night Heron come to the zoo by June 15; others like Spoonbill and Ibis come in July. Officials said that two species of Cattle Egret come to the zoo for nesting.

Each bird gives birth to three to four baby birds and at the end of the season, the number of birds at Kankaria becomes around 10,000. These birds come to the zoo from nearby states as the water level in the lakes there goes down drastically. When they come, the birds also use the old nests which were left behind the previous season.

Brief Profile of some Winged guests


Cattle Egret

The Cattle Egret (Bubulcus ibis) a species from heron found in the tropics, subtropics and warm temperate zones. These birds are originally native to parts of Asia, Africa and Europe. This species maintains a special relationship with cattle, which extends to other large grazing mammals. The cattle Egret removes ticks and fillies from cattle and consumes them. The breeding season various within South Asia. Nesting in Northern India begins with the onset of Monsoon. The breeding season in Australia is November to early January.



Spoonbill

Spoonbills are a group of large, long-legged wading birds in the family. Spoonbills generally prefer fresh water to salty but are found in both environments. They feed for many hours each day. The male gathers nesting material, mostly sticks and reeds, sometimes taken from an old nest, the female weaves it into a large, shallow bowl or platform which varies in its shape and structural integrity according to species. They female lays a clutch of about three smooth, oval, white eggs and both parents incubate.


Night Heron

Adult Night Heron are shot-necked, short-legged and stout herons with a primarily brown or grey plumage and in most, a black crown. Young birds are brown, flecked with white. Night Herons nest alone or in colonies on platforms of sticks in a group of trees; or on the ground in protected locations such as islands or reed-beds. About three to eight eggs are laid. They primarily eat small fish, crustaceans, frogs, aquatic insects, and small mammals. During the day they rest in trees or bushes.


Little Cormorant

The Little Cormorant (Phalacrocorax Niger) is small as compared to other cormorants. The bird is 55 cm in length with an average mass of 442.5 grams. It is a resident species in most of tropical South Asia, commonly found in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam; additionally, it is a vagrant species in Afghanistan. These birds nest in colonies, typically located in trees near a water body.

Gujarat slips on wetlands recognition Pakistan gets honored on environmental front

Pakistan has scored over Gujarat on the environment front. Even though Pakistan has just 10% compared to Kutch’s about 12,000 sq kilometers area that attracts migratory birds, the neighboring country already has an international recognition for the same. Pakistan part of the desert had got the tag of Ramsar site, way back in 2002. Gujarat, on the other hand, is yet to send a recommendation for the 90% of the Rann. An official in the forest department said the Kutch area easily qualifies for Ramsar recognition. He said that the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) is an intergovernmental treaty that embodies the commitments of its member countries to maintain the ecological character of their wetlands of international importance and to plan sustainable use. However, the state forest department has not even recommended Kutch to be notified as Ramsar site. The official said that Ramsar tag would ensure international recognition to the area, Also the site gets a commitment from the government to preserve the ecological balance. In addition, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and groups of citizens at all levels of the communities, including at international stage, also undertake actions aimed at raising public awareness of wetland values and benefits in general, and the Ramsar Convention in particular. While attaching Ramsar recognition to Runn of Notch in Pakistan in the year 2002, it was announced that this area was integral with .the large Rann of Kutch across the frontier with India. The Runn of Kutch in Pakistan has locally and globally threatened species; including the Great Indian Bustard, Hauberk Bustard, Sarus Crane, and Hyena and also population of greater and lesser flamingos- The site does not have more than one lakh birds visiting the area. On the contrary, over 10 lakh migratory birds flock the Indian parts of the Rann like Khadir and flamingo city, This sanctuary, which is the largest in the state, encompasses a true saline desert where thousands of Flamingoes nest and breed in the world-famous ‘Flamingo City.’ Pelicans, black-necked storks, cormorant, Indian cormorant, Brahmini Duck, Pintail, Spotbill, Shoveller, Pochard, Sandpiper, Gulls, Terns, Tints and plovers also throng the area. An ornithologist Bharat Jethwa says, “This is an extremely important area as it also a breeding site. The site if it gets Ramsar recognition, it would be protected by international laws and global attention would be drawn on every measure taken for the conservation.” He said that the officials should immediately take it up and recommend this site for a Ramsar label. Additional principal’s chief conservator of forest H S Singh said, “Gujarat always has maintained that there should be less penetration to outsiders.” “If a site gets Ramsar recognition there would much foreign interference in terms of researchers and hence Gujarat, and for the matter Centre too, was not keen on Ramsar recognition’ Singh added. He stated that countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh eye such tags because they get international funds for conservation, which is not the case with the Indian sites. Courtesy:- Times Of India.

Get up, close and personal with #Winged visitors

An on going exhibition in the city is aiming to create awareness among the local population regarding #migratory #birds, their habitat and way of life.

The exhibition is being organized by the forest department, with the help of the municipal corporation of Jamnagar, and is being held at the Town Hall. An interpretation centre has also been set up as part of the show, which got under way on November 28 and runs until December 5, The municipal corporation has Invited schools to attend the exhibition so that students can get first-hand information regarding various species of migratory birds that visit the area.

The Interpretation centre - is equipped with a state-of-the-art Interactive system which gives information about nesting, voices and food habits of the migratory birds. Students can interact with machines and can get in-depth information regarding the winged visitors. Even real-life models of birds and their habitat have been created at the exhibition.





Jamnagar’s costal area plays host to about 257 species of migratory birds. In Jamnagar district, 325 #bird species have been recorded in past, out of which 170 are migratory ones coming from North Europe and Siberia, while others include semi-migratory and local ones.

“The idea of the entire exercise is to make the present and the next generation aware about the rich bio-diversity of the district and create awareness among people regarding winged visitors which are an essential part of the entire ecosystem and the food chain. The exhibition will be open until December 5 for public,” said municipal commissioner
P Swaroop. Photographs of the birds and animals captured by local photographers are also displayed in the exhibition, he added.




Courtesy :- Times Of India, 4 December, 2010