A delightful chirp of birds greets visitors at Shilparamam – Jatara. These are the new attractions at the art and culture centre situated at Madhurawada . Around 160 exotic Australian birds of four species were recently introduced at the centre to provide a new look to it.
These four species include Cockatiels, English Show Budgies, Diamond Dove, Laughing Dove. A separate enclosure has been placed that houses these avian wonders. “The birds were brought here from Hyderabad at a total cost of Rs.3.50 lakh. Special care is being taken to ensure the safety of the exotic birds and provide them the right feeds,” B. Ganesh, administrative officer, Shilparamam told The Hindu .
A member of the cockatoo family endemic to Australia, the Cockatiel is an eye-catching bird with its grey coloured crest. They are prized as a household pet throughout the world and are relatively easy to breed. One of the earliest groups of European travellers, who discovered these species, thought the birds were so beautiful that they named them after mythical nymphs (Nymphicus genus).
The laughing dove and diamond dove live in pairs or small groups. The Indian tropical climatic conditions suit these species of birds and hence, they are commonly seen at zoos in Indian cities.
Among the other species, the bright colourful plumage of English Show Budgies makes for an attractive sight. “These birds are being fed a variety of greens and vegetables in addition to their seed diets,” Ganesh added.
The Tourism Department has recently come up with a slew of projects to give a facelift to Shilparamam. Apart from developing a night bazaar, the department is planning to establish a theme park based on revolutionary freedom fighter Alluri Sitaramaraju and a tribal museum. With the help of the students of Andhra University Department of Fine Arts, several new contemporary artworks were added to the centre giving it a fresh look.
