The Bonelli’s Eagle soared high in the air, spreading its massive wings, blocking the afternoon sun momentarily. After scanning the rocky caverns beneath for prey, the winged hunter patiently lay in midair, circling the group of birders gathered to steal a look at it. “Soon, we heard the cawing of crows and a pair of house crows was frantically chasing the eagle away,” narrates N. Raveendran. “It was probably a territorial fight or the crows were protecting their nest/chicks.”
In a day-long hike around Arittapatti and Narasingampatti between Madurai and Melur, city birders have recorded nearly 15 species of rare and endangered hunting birds recently. Patches of thorny shrub forest interspersed with rocky hillocks, the area around the Perumal Malai reserve forests bustles with a teaming population of eagles, falcons, buzzards and owls. The landscape is also dotted with nearly 200 small water pools apart from natural springs and channels on the hills. Two big tanks at the foothills – Anaikondan and Periakulam kanmois serve as major water bodies in the area.
“There are a total of seven small hills such as Kalinjamalai, Nattar malai, Vaguthukullan Malai, Ramayi Malai, Aptan Malai, thenkoodu malai and Kazhugu malai, that host a number of birds,” says Raveendran. “Villagers in the vicinity report that they had seen Egyptian Vultures at the place till the 90’s. Even now, the markings of the bird droppings can be seen on the rocks. The Egyptian Vulture is a resident scavenging bird that has become extremely rare and endangered these days. In the last five year, only a couple of juveniles have been sighted near Tuticorin.”
Repeated birding trips to the pocket have surprised birders with new sightings each time. “The high concentration of so many hunting birds in a single pocket is rare. It means that the ecosystem is healthy, indicates that the food chain is complete and the prey base is intact,” says S.V. Ganeshwar, a birder from Salem.
“The star attraction of the area is the resident pair of Laggar Falcon. Birders in Madurai have been following the pair for a year now. They can be called the pride of the city as no official record of resident Laggar Falcon has been made elsewhere in the state.”
He adds, “The Laggar Falcon is considered the most common Falcon in India. But due to severe habitat loss, the bird is now endangered.”
“The hunting style of the Falcon is unique. We have also observed Peregrine Falcon and Shaheen Falcon, both seasonal migrators in the hills around Arittapatti,” adds Raveendran. Bonelli’s Eagle, Short toed snake eagle, black eagle, Honey buzzard – feeding on the honey combs, shikra and kestrels reside in these hills. The Greater spotted eagle, Indian spotted eagle and booted eagle are migratory birds that visit the place every year. The Brown fish owl and Indian rock owl and spotted owlet are also found in abundance.
Out of all the raptors found here, the Bonelli’s Eagle is said to be the fiercest hunter. Residents of the village say that the massive birds even pick up lambs. “If the lamb is found standing along the edge of the hillock, the bird pushes it off the cliff and later feeds on it. Their wing span is over six feet and they also take away poultry/hens,” says Dr. Ravi, a veterinarian. “Short toed snake eagle is another raptor that primarily feeds on snakes. We saw it in flight, with the tail of a snake dangling out from its beak. Likewise, the Honey buzzard is a clever bird that snatches the honey comb with its powerful claws. The honey bees would chase the bird for over 300 metres but they are no match for the speed of the bird.” Eagle owl is a nocturnal hunter that mainly feeds on chicks of other eagles and birds. There is a thriving population of Brown fish owl here.
The place nurtures a rich biodiversity apart from just birds. Other than many palm trees, Arittapatti is home to some of the rare native species of trees and plants such as Kiluvai, Usil, Udaikali, Itchi, Pungan and Vilvilla. “The bright side is that the people living around the area are highly sensitive to forests and birds, thus maintaining its richness,” says Raveendran.
