The arrival of rare migratory birds to Kannankurichi Lake has surprised the bird watchers and naturalists in the city.
Every year many migratory birds from Asian and European countries travel to various places in India in search of good feeding grounds and to keep away from severe winter in their native habitat. Black-capped Kingfisher is a resident bird living in the coastal areas of India which was recorded for the first time in Salem. Bluethroat is a tiny passerine bird which breeds in the bushy swamps of Europe and Asia. This is only the second time Bluethroat is seen in Salem after two decades.
Bird watcher S.V. Ganeshwar, a member of Tamil Nadu Science Forum along with photographers M. Ravi, Gokul Vadivel, and S. Ramraj also recorded Little Stint, Temminck’s Stint, Common Greenshank, Hume’s Whitethroat and Green Warbler. The Temminck’s Stint which breeds in taiga of northern Europe and Scandinavia has an intriguing breeding and parental care system in which males and females incubate separate egg clutches in different locations.
Other regular migratory species such as Blyth’s Reed Warbler, Green-winged Teal, Marsh Sandpiper, Grey Wagtail and White Wagtail have also arrived. A pair of Western Reef Egrets which is also a resident coastal bird was also recorded to the surprise of bird watchers. Over this week alone, 106 species have been recorded in the lake and in one morning after spending four and half hours, 89 species were recorded which is the highest species count in a single session so far.
Mr. Ganeshwar said that public participation is very essential in the city as they can also add their sightings of resident as well as migratory birds to database atwww.ebird.orgwhich will enhance the better understanding of the distribution and population variations of the birds in Salem.
