A heavy decline in water bird population of the capital has been revealed in the Asian Waterfowl Census (AWC) 2015.
As many as 1,874 individual birds belonging to 49 species were recorded in the census conducted on Saturday jointly by WWF-India and Social Forestry Wing of the Forests and Wildlife Department under the Green Partnership Programme in seven places in the capital district.
The highest count was from Punchakari paddy fields and from Vellayani Lake. Shore birds like Greater sand Plover, Lesser sand Plover, Sanderling, Heuglin’s Gull and waders like Wood Sandpiper, Marsh Sandpiper, Green Sandpiper, Pacific golden Plover, Green Shank were the major migratory birds spotted during the day-long census.
The census was held at Punchakkari paddy fields, Vellayani Lake, Akkulam Lake, Veli Lake and beach, Poovar Estuary and Aruvikkara Dam Reservoir.
The lowest count was from Akkulam Lake where only 144 birds from 22 species could be spotted during the survey.
The heavy change in land use pattern and pollution are the major reasons for the heavy decline, according to the AWC coordinator, A. K. Sivakumar.
The lesser counts in Punchakkari and Vellayani Lake compared to previous years indicate loss of feeding grounds due to lack of agriculture.
The unprecedented heavy rainfall in the later months of 2014 which resulted in water-level rise in the habitats of waders is one of the reasons for the low count.
The census was carried out by a 72-member team comprising experts, Kerala Forests and Wildlife Department officials and volunteers. The teams were lead by Mr. Sivakumar, Hari Mavelikara, Neha Waikar, C.G. Arun, Jaichand Johnson, Anoop S.S. and Kiran R.C.
