Birders from across Karnataka and other States, who participated in the third edition of Hakki Habba near Daroji Bear Sanctuary and the world famous Hampi left with evergreen memories.
They were fascinated by the biodiversity in the scrubby lands of the district; sighting of a variety of rare birds, including migratory, and the flora and fauna. The participants also got insight into conservation of nature, flora and fauna, and habitat of birds that were on the verge of extinction.
The three-day Hakki Habba, organised by the Forest Department, Karnataka State Eco-Tourism Board, in association with local birders and nature lovers, concluded on Saturday.
“We were thrilled to sight black storks, a rare migratory bird from Europe, pallid harrier (migratory), chestnut-bellied sandgrouse, painted sandgrouse, painted spurfowl, black-headed ibis, black-tailed godwits (migratory), spotted owlets, and even leopards,” Pawan Miskin from Hubballi, a participant, told The Hindu .
Mr. Miskin, who has attended the earlier two bird festivals, said the just-concluded one in a scrub land gave a different experience compared to the western ghats. “We were able to see birds specific to this area,” he said.
The participants were divided into eight teams and taken for bird walks and also to witness the grandeur of the Hampi monuments, Daroji Bear Sanctuary, and to a few waterbodies around the venue.
“Participants were thrilled during their visit to Hampi and also over sighting some rare birds, including yellow-throated bulbul, amidst the rocky terrain of Hampi,” S.K. Arun, honorary district wildlife warden, who was among those to play an active role in organising the bird festival, said.
Renowned experts on birds, nature and conservation, including Govind Sagar Bharadwaj, Sumit Sen, Dhananjai Mohan, Bikram Gerewal, Parag Rangnekar, Samira Agnihotri, and Ganesh Shankar, spoke on various subjects concerning bird-watching, photography techniques, and challenges on conservation.
