The first ever bird survey of Kottayam Town, conducted by Junior naturalists of the Tropical Institute of Ecological Sciences (TIES), has identified 40 species.
According to Punnen Kurian Vekadath, secretary, TIES, Common myna, Black drongo, Red whiskered bulbul, and Jungle myna were among the most common birds identified in the town.
Alarming feature
An alarming feature was that birds like Cattle egrets, Pond heron and Little egret, considered aquatic birds, have turned themselves scavengers and are found in large numbers among the heaps of municipal waste, he said.
Interestingly, the survey found that the town was also home to Vernal hanging parrots and Darters, which are not so common in urban surroundings.
Bird population
The bird population is the highest in Chungom, Chalukunnu, and CMS College campus areas, and the lowest in Nagambadom-Railway station sector, Kanjikkuzhy-Civil Station areas and Thirunakkara-Thekkum Gopuram areas. Incidentally, bird population on the PWD Guest House campus, which was high, has dwindled.
The survey was conducted by Junior naturalists, amateur birdwatchers and experts after dividing the town area into seven sectors.
