With migratory birds from various parts of India and world arriving at the Nanjarayan Tank near Uthukuli in Tiruppur district, birdwatchers remain hopeful about an increase in the number of birds visiting this year.
A Forest Department official said on Monday that the birds started arriving in the first week of October and more birds were expected to arrive in the coming months. Whether the overall reduction in air pollution levels and other environment impacts of COVID-19 would affect the number of birds visiting this year were yet to be seen, the official said.
K. Ravindran, bird watcher and president of Nature Society of Tiruppur, said the initial stages seemed to be satisfactory without any apparent drop in the arrival of the migratory birds. “The Nanjarayan Tank is attracting shore birds,” he said, referring to the birds found on shorelines or shallow waters across the world such as sandpipers (common, wood and marsh), ruffs and Temminick’s stints.
Other migratory birds from Europe that arrived included garganeys and northern shovelers. Birds such as spot-billed pelicans, Indian cormorants, grey herons and painted storks were some of the birds that migrated to Nanjarayan Tank from other parts of India, Mr. Ravindran said. Most of the migratory birds would arrive by December and leave by the beginning of March.
The forest official said that Forest Department staff visited the Nanjarayan Tank every day to ensure no activities that might disturb the migratory birds took place. “The public have been quite supportive so far,” the official said.
