Seabird strays onto land, dies

Misled by deceptive wind currents, a rare seabird of the Great Frigatebird species strayed onto the mainland in Neyyatinkara near Thiruvananthapuram, where it got hurt and finally succumbed to its injuries.

The Great Frigatebird that died after straying onto land.

For the forest officials and many other bird enthusiasts, it was a sight to behold as the dispersive sea bird, with a huge wingspan and black plumage, is rarely spotted on land. But their joy was short lived, as the lightly built, 190-cm-long male bird died of injuries within hours of being rescued from the electric cables near the railway station.

The forest officials, who rescued the bird, had taken it to the Zoo Hospital and was put on intensive care under the guidance of Zoo Vet Jacob Alexander.

The bird was then taken to the zoo after being deliced.

At the zoo, it was injected upon, and given oxygen supply and glucose.

The treatment, however, did not work, and the bird, exhausted and its legs badly injured, developed sudden fits and died after an hour, a zoo official said.

The seabird was lightly built with a large black plumage and was about 190-cm long.

The Great Frigatebird, a dispersive sea bird, has its home on the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, and is rarely spotted on land.