The monsoon is round the corner and the wading birds must be on their way, hope birders. Apart from a variety of hunting birds, grain and insect eaters, a number of waders visit the city during the rains. Tanks around Tirumangalam, Melur and the Vandiyur tank will soon host 1000-strong colonies of small and mid-sized waders. Waders are water birds that wade and not swim in shallow waters. Some of them are long distance migrants, while few are also residents, says, Dr. Badri Narayanan. “They can be found rummaging for molluscs and crabs along the grassy edges of the tank or walking on the bottom of the water bodies and marshes.”
Flying in from the shores of Ramnad, waders can be found both in fresh water and the sea. Feeding on invertebrates, water insects and larva, they play an important role in the food chain. “Most of them are less than a feet in size and form the most favourite meal of raptors like Marsh Harrier,” says N. Raveendran. “So far, we have identified nearly 15 species of waders in and around Madurai. Since the monsoon hasn’t set in yet, we see few numbers this year. But still, Vandiyur and tanks around Mela Urappanur and Tirumangalam are having enthusiastic bird arrivals as they hold water round the year.”
Generally called as ‘ullan’ in Tamil, waders are classified under the Charadriiformes order of birds. “Even terns and gulls belong to the order. Some birds in this group will wade in mud and slush apart from water. Some are long distant migrants who come in from Himalayas, Siberia and Central Asia, such as Bar-tailed Godwit and black-tailed Godwit,” says Badri. “Birds like the Little ringed plover is a resident while Plain ringed plover is a migrant. Kentish plover is suspected to be not a migrant in the Ramnad area. Black winged slit (pavala kaali) also breeds sometimes in the tanks here. Such varied behavioural patterns are exhibited by wading birds.”
“If there’s good source of food and waters, waders may choose stay longer and then become a resident also. Most of them can be seen in Madurai for a period of six months from October to March,” says Raveendran. “They nest on the ground in shore areas. The birds dig small burrows and lay eggs, the colour of which may differ according to the landscape.”
Eagles and hunter birds follow the arrival of waders. Marsh and Pallid harrier, spotted eagle and small hunters like Peregrine falcon and red necked falcon feed on waders. There are also other water birds like ducks, storks, pelicans and egrets that share the water bodies with waders. City birder have recorded five varieties of migratory ducks – Lesser Whistling-Duck, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Garganey and Common teal – found mostly in the tanks of Urappanur, Nesaneri and Vandiyur.
“Last week, we sighted five marsh harriers and few booted eagles at Vellakal tank in Avaniyapuram. Pelicans and storks are residents while Open bill stork and woolly necked stork that fly in from Western Ghats are partial migrants. Last year, we identified a rare bird called white stork, coming in from Central Asia and Europe. We hope it visits this year too,” says Raveendran.
“Looking at the shape of the legs and the length of the bills, one can say what kind of water depth the birds wade in and what they feed on,” says Badri. He adds that smaller birds like the Little ringed Plover chooses a niche habitat like the shallow edges along the tank bund while the Black-winged stilt with its long legs may choose to be at a deeper point, digging deeper into the marsh to fish out crabs and snails.”
Snipes have long beaks and are shy birds that live in groups of 40 or 50. They come in as shore migrants from the Ramnad and Paramakudi regions. Ramnad is a rich reserve of waders as there are many fresh water lakes and ponds apart from undisturbed islands with shallow sea waters like Arichalmunai and Dhanushkodi, points out Raveendran. “Waders are also indicators of the richness of the shore. Colonies of wading birds means that the place is rich in marine life.”
Some of the wading birds identified in tanks around Madurai are Kentish Plover, Little ringed plover, Black-tailed Godwit, Common sand piper, Wood sand piper, Terek Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Red shank, Green Shank, Little stint, Pin-tailed Snipe and Common Snipe.
