Driven by a penchant for bird watching, Ponnekanti Prashanthi, an MCA graduate of the town, has been spearheading a field study to identify nesting sites of Baya Weavers as part of voluntary efforts to conserve the common bird species.
The innate nest building craftsmanship of male Baya Weaver birds continues to hog the attention of researchers and avian aficionados. So much so, Baya Weavers known as “gijigadu” in local parlance inspired Telugu literary stalwart, the late Gurram Jashuva to pen a poem titled ‘Gijigadu’ in praise of the bird’s nest weaving skills, sources said.
Ms. Prashanthi is actively associated with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS)’s ongoing Baya Weaver Count-2018, a pan-India common bird monitoring programme, as a volunteer.
She has already spotted Baya Weavers’ nesting sites at Kotha Kothuru village in Nelakondapalli mandal and two other villages in Khammam division.
Avian interest
After completing her MCA in 2012, Ms. Prashanthi served as a data processing officer for developing a Knowledge Management System in the Government of India-UNDP-GEF-Government of AP Project titled, Mainstreaming Coastal and Marine Biodiversity Conservation into Production Sectors in the East Godavari River Estuarine Ecosystem (EGREE) in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh upto March 2017.
She acquired the techniques of bird watching and wildlife photography from Sathiyaselvam, Assistant Director, BNHS. “Thanks to the encouragement of Dr. Sathiyaselvam, I developed the requisite skills to identify different species of birds, reptiles, marine and terrestrial mammals and shells. I contributed photographs for EGREE Newsletter and AP Biodiversity Field Guide,” she recalls, saying she devoted her full time to bird research in her district.
Conservation concern
Rapid urbanisation is taking a toll on the grasslands, the natural habitat of the birds, and concerted efforts involving all sections of society are imperative to conserve the common bird species, she insists. “I plan to prepare a comprehensive checklist of birds in Khammam and hold awareness programmes in various educational institutions on protection of natural habitats of birds, expanding green cover and maintaining ecological balance,” she explains.
