Migratory bar-headed geese from far off Mangolia, Himalayan region and China are being sighted at Rushikulya rookery in Ganjam district of Odisha this winter.
Three bar-headed geese tagged at other places in the past were also located in this group.
Speaking to The Hindu , Bivash Pandav of Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehra Dun, said details regarding tags attached to the birds located at Rushikulya rookery were confirmed by Wetland International and Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). “As per the reports submitted to the WII, Dehra Dun, by Wetland International and BNHS, one of these migratory birds, which is a female, had been tagged in Mangolia in 2009. Another was tagged in 2011 at Pong Dam in Himachal Pradesh and the last one had been tagged in Chilika Lake of Odisha in 2014,” said Mr Pandav.
This group of more than 500 bar-headed geese had been sighted by Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Berhampur Ashis Behera and environmental activists like Rabindranath Sahu of Rushikulya Sea Turtle Protection Committee (RSTPC) on January 14. Photographs taken by the DFO and others have been sent to WII for proper identification of tags and the birds. This bar-headed geese group is still being sighted on deltas at the rookery. When contacted, Mr Behera said measures have been initiated to protect these migratory birds as well as their habitat at the rookery after their sighting.
Rushikulya rookery coast is major nesting site of endangered Olive Ridley turtles on Indian coast. Patrolling in sea and coast is on at the rookery coast to protect the turtles in sea and the coastline. Now these migratory birds too would be protected, the DFO added.
According to wildlife experts, to reach places like the Chilika Lake or Bhitarkanika in Odisha, the bar-headed geese travel around 6,000 kms from Mangolia, China or Laddakh during winter. It is felt that some of them may have preferred to explore Rushikulya rookery coast. Chilika Lake is also nearby. Mr Sahu, who is observing these birds for the past few days, said that during day-time, these geese are staying at Rushikulya rookery but return to Chilika lake at night, where there is ample presence of food for them.
