WETLAND BIRDS FIND NEW HAVEN

Wetland birds find new haven

E.M. MANOJ

The backwaters of the Karapuzha reservoir, an emerging tourism destination, is becoming a safe haven for the avian population, especially water fowls.In a survey jointly organised by the Social Forestry Department and the Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology, an environmental organisation, as part of the State Waterbird count in the water belt areas of the reservoir such as Nellarachal, Malayachomkolly and Puttad areas recorded a higher count of different species of wetland birds .

Birds such as Purple moorhen, Common moor hen, pheasant tailed Jacana, bronze winged Jacana have been sighted in these wetlands, C.K. Vishnudas, ornithologist who led the survey, told  The recent survey also recorded the sighting of Lesser whistling ducks, Spot-billed ducks and Garganey ducks in the Nellarachal area, which has a vast shallow water body.The abundant growth of lotus and water lily in the shallow water body had made it a suitable habitat for birds for feeding and breeding, Mr. Vishnudas said.

Oriental white-ibis and Oriental Darter, two globally threatened birds, had also established a significant population in the area, said K.V. Uthaman , Deputy Conservator of Forest ( Social Forestry Wayanad ) who coordinated the survey.While the Panamaram wetland is no more a major habitat of different species of birds owing to land conversion and massive destruction of bamboo groves, the newly formed habitat in Karapuzha backwaters provides fresh hope to bird enthusiasts.However, cultivation of plantain and ginger in the water belt area by encroaching upon land that had been acquired for the construction of the reservoir is posing a major threat to the emerging habitat.

Prof. John Kurakar