Birders in the city still fondly remember the Blue Throat, a plump little insect-eater that chose to stopover at the Sivarakottai tank, last winter. The tiny bird migrates from Central Asia and Europe to North Africa and Northern India and this particular sighting in Madurai is considered extremely rare. Ever wondered, how our avian friends travel across thousands of kilometres traversing massive continents and mighty oceans on the way? Migration of birds is still considered one of nature’s unexplainable occurrences. To celebrate the spirit of migratory birds, May 14 is marked as the International Migratory Bird Day. However, in India, since the migratory season is during winters, the day is observed as Endemic Bird Day.
There are over 60 species of birds that choose to layover at our Temple Town enroute to their breeding grounds, every year. To escape harsh winters in the Himalayan and Siberian regions, flocks of water birds and some raptors like Booted Eagle and harriers fly down in search of warmth to the plains of Southern India. “There are at least half-a-dozen varieties of ducks that visit Madurai all winters. Most of them will not be in breeding plumage and hence resemble the country duck. That’s the reason for them going unnoticed,” says N. Raveendran, a member of Madurai Nature Forum that documented a number of migratory birds in the city last year. In the tanks around Avaniyapuram and Tirumangalam, MNF members have recorded duck varieties like the Northern Pintail, Shoveler, Garganey, Godwit and Cotton Teal.
Apart from a teaming resident bird population, the city hosts a good number of domestic and international migrants. “There are also partial migratory birds which are nothing but local birds that take refuge in the Western Ghats as the summer becomes unbearable in the plains. Usually, they travel a distance of 150kms to 1000kms,” says Raveendran. “Once, we sighted small waders and reef egrets in the Vaigai. They come in to the region from the coastal plains.”
Coming to endemic birds, the composite Madurai region has a over 100-odd species. “There are over 18 endemic species to the western ghats, some of which can be found in select pockets and all over the ghats. Birds like the Kerala Laughing Thrush can be found in western districts of TamilNadu too,” says senior birder Dr. T. Badri Narayanan. “There are also forest birds that come in to Madurai. Indian Paradise Flycatcher, Green leaf warbler and Greenish warbler are species that migrates from Himalayas to Southern Tamil Nadu. Any bird that shuttles between the northern and southern latitudes is migratory in nature immaterial of whether it crosses the country boundaries or not.”
Among these is one peculiar bird that has the distinction of being documented in the ancient Sangam Literature. The White Stork is a winter migrant, referred to as ‘Senkaal Narai’ in the Sangam Age poem ‘ Narai Narai, senkaal Narai… ’ by poet Satthimuttha Pulavar, who is said to have stayed in Madurai during the time he penned the poem. Madurai also falls in the migratory route of the famous pink wall! Yes, the Flamingos have been sighted in the Kullursanthai Tank in the nearby Virudhunagar District. “A decade ago, I have seen a flock of 50 to 75 birds in Vandiyur tank,” reveals Badri. “They just stayed there for a day or two. It could have been a ‘passage migration’, where the birds touch down for food, water and some rest enroute to their breeding ground in Rann of Kutch.” Raveendran, adds, “Last winter, we spotted a few flamingos in the Thenkal Kanmoi.” In South Tamil Nadu, flamingos are found along the coasts of Ramanathapuram, salt pans of Thoothukudi, marshy areas like Dhanushkodi and Point Calimere. Kodiakkarai, Koonthankulam and Vettangudi are the main bird sanctuaries in the region. Dr. M. Manivannan of Karaikudi, a regular birder at Vettangudi, says, “We have documented over 80 species of birds at Vettangudi, out of which nearly 10 species are migratory. Black Eagle was sighted for the first time recently. The raptor that feeds of the young ones of Open-bill Storks migrates from North India.”
Some migratory birds sighted in the region:
Wigeon Duck, Northern Shoveler Duck, Northern Pintail Duck, Garganey Duck, Greater Flamingo, White Stork , Western Reef-Egret, Osprey, Greater Spotted Eagle, Booted Eagle, Eurasian Marsh-Harrier, Pallid Harrier, Montagu's Harrier, Peregrine Falcon, Greater Sand-Plover, Green Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Marsh Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Ruff Alpine Swift, Indian Pitta, Barn Swallow, Wire-tailed Swallow, Tickell's Leaf Warbler, Green Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Rosy Starling, Chestnut-tailed Starling, Western Yellow Wagtail, Citrine Wagtail and Gray Wagtail
