KOCHI: After conducting a drive to count the number of aquatic birds in and around Ernakulam, the Cochin Natural History Society in association with the Kerala Forest Department will be launching a survey of heronries in the district. A meeting in this regard will be held on Saturday at 5 pm at Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary.
According to Dileep K G, president, Cochin Natural History Society, herons are an important part of the wetland ecosystem. "As of now, no thorough survey has been done to identify the nesting sites and also the number of birds in the district. A regular monitoring system needs to be in place in order to come up with a conservation plan for these birds," he said. In an individual capacity with the help of a small team, Dileep was able to identify around eight heronries in and around Chelamattom, Perumbavoor and the Tank City. "But, there are more heronries in other parts of the district. Doing a census of heronries is a difficult and time-consuming process," he said. These birds love to nest on tamarind trees since even the thinnest of branches are sturdy and strong, he added.
"But many times these trees are found on private properties and the nuisance that these birds cause prompt the owners to cut down the tree. This leads to habitat loss and the group moves away from the place in search of a new nesting ground," he said. This makes it difficult to monitor them, he added. According to him, the most common herons found in the district are little egret, pond heron, black-crowned night heron, oriental darter and the little cormorant.
Besides habitat loss, poachers are a threat to these birds. "Their meat is served as a delicacy in small hotels and also toddy shops. During the season, especially after the harvest, the shops prominently display menus having dishes made of heron meat. There have been instances when we had caught people hunting herons. We could do so with the help of cameras with telelens. The pictures were then handed over to the Forest Department officers who then nabbed the poachers," he said.The final numbers of the heronries in the district will be available after two months since the volunteers will have to travel far and wide to locate them, said Vishnupriyan Kartha K, deputy registrar, Cusat.