Winged visitors throng Koonthankulam

Chicks are seen in some nests and eggs found in a few others

A painted stork builds a nest at Koonthankulam bird sanctuary in Tirunelveli district.— Photo:A. SHAIKMOHIDEEN

The sleepy hamlet of Koonthankulam, a bird sanctuary situated about 25 km from here, is filled with the ‘clak’ sound as around 3,000 painted storks have started building nests in acacia trees grown in the village.

Koonthankulam and nearby Kaadankulam, the two waterbodies in the area, that attract the winged visitors even from Europe, are now overflowing, thanks to the good Northeast Monsoon.

As a result, thousands of birds are camping in the vicinity and in the trees grown in the middle of these waterbodies.

While young chicks of painted storks are seen in a few nests, eggs are found in a few more.

“I have counted 2,943 nests – either finished or unfinished – in the village. The number of nests in the trees in the middle of Koonthankulam and Kaadankulam will be still higher. So more than 6,000 painted stork nests can be expected this year. Ibis comes next in the number birds camping here,” says birdwatcher S. Paulpandi of Koonthankulam.

Over 45 bird species, including painted stork, flamingo, bar-headed goose, pelican, spoonbill, ibis, snake bird, heron, tern, duck, egret, garganey and pintail, will be nesting at Koonthankulam whenever this region receives good rainfall.

Though acacia trees have grown abundantly in and around Koonthankulam, the birds prefer the trees that have grown within this sleepy hamlet, which has prohibited blaring speakers and bursting of crackers during celebrations, including Deepavali, and the black babul trees grown in the middle of the tank.

A visit to Koonthankulam during April-end would be a memorable one as the scene of adult birds feeding their chicks and guarding the young ones from the hot sun by spreading their colourful wings will be a visual treat.

Since almost all waterbodies around Koonthankulam are now brimming, farmers have enjoyed a bumper paddy harvest this year. While freshwater fishes found in these two waterbodies form a sufficient prey base for the birds, the lush green paddy fields and vegetables cultivated in this region provide a variety of food to the winged visitors, including bar-headed goose, a transnational bird.