The sighting of a Chestnut-eared bunting (Emberiza fucata), mostly seen in northeast India and lower Himalayan areas, at Ezhumanthuruth near Vaikom, has raised the interest among the birdwatchers in the State. According to P.J. George, Associate Professor of English at St Dominic’s College, Kanjirappally, and an avid birdwatcher, who had sighted and photographed the bird on March 30, as per records, this was for the first time the species was reported in Kerala.
“The conditions are ideal for the bunting at Ezhumanthuruth with its large polders lying idle after the harvest. However, Chestnut-eared bunting has never been seen migrating to this area,” he said.
“The birds are often reported in the lower Himalayas and they migrate to northeast India for breeding,” said Prasanth Narayanan, noted birder. According to him, a small population of the birds has been reported in West Bengal.
According to P.S. Jinesh, senior resident, Kottayam Government Medical College and Admin, Birdwatchers of Kerala, FB Group, the birds are seen in the Himalayas, China, Siberia, Pakistan, Korea and Thailand. They migrate in the winter to southeast Asia and northeast India. “The photograph has been widely circulated among the birdwatchers’ groups and it has been identified by prominent birders,” he said.
According to Mr. Narayanan, only a regular sighting of a minimum critical size of population would point to climatic change as a rationale behind the sighting.
