A group of volunteers have come forward to provide a shelter to urban birds, displaced due to the cutting of trees on the road margins as part of the widening works of 9.2 km stretch of State Highway 32 in Anantapur.
The group, calling itself ‘Discover Ananthapuramu’ and popularising its activities on social media platforms, has embarked on a mission to put up 2,000 nests on existing trees. Led by social activist Anil Kumar Reddy, these youngsters have been fixing nests on all trees along the route where they were cut for the past three days.
Coir-made nests
“We are at present putting up coir-made nests, sourced from Coimbatore, and aim to complete the target as early as possible,” says Mr. Anil Kumar Reddy. Quoting from a book on bird habitat written by Caroline Isaksson, a professor in the Department of Biology, Evolutionary Ecology in Lund University (Sweden), Mr. Anil Kumar Reddy says birds are forced to either accept or avoid the new conditions to survive in a urban habitat. Many of them leave once the area is urbanised, thus resulting in a significant loss of local biodiversity, he adds quoting Ms. Isaksson.
Studies have shown that man-made structures provide suitable nesting sites for a range of species and that the breeding success of birds in such a setting was often higher in comparison to those nesting in other rural locations. “We have decided to knock on the doors of every house that has a tree and give them a couple of nests so that more and more birds are attracted,” he adds. This project is self-funded and the volunteers had earlier taken up the task of removing nails from the trunks of trees in the city. Those interested in having a nest could approach them on their Facebook page, he says.
