THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Asian Waterbird Census (AWC)2017 in Kollam conducted by WWF-India with the aid of Forest Department’s social forestry wing has identified 9,378 birds belonging to 65 species.
On the other hand, habitat loss and environmental degradation are posing major challenges to the avian population in the district.
The 2017 headcount revealed almost double the number of birds counted in 2016, according to WWF-India. That year, the census had shown 5,303 birds from 59 species. This time,the AWC,held across six different bird-rich sites, also revealed the presence of 32 migratory species also.
AWC covered Polachira wetlands, Karali marshes and Chittumala Chira, Sakthikulangara-Neendakara Harbour and Pallikkodi region, Vellanathuruth, an island area near Karunagappally and Kandachira,an extension of Ashtamudi Lake.
Eurasian Coots, spotbilled ducks, garganey ducks, purple swamp hens and lesser whistling ducks were among those spotted in Polachira. This site also threw up 80 oriental darters designated as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature(IUCN).
The team which covered Karali marsh and Chittumala Chira counted 10 eurasian spoonbills, 280 garganey ducks,205 whiskered terns and many other migratory species. One hundred and ninety-three purple swamp hens also were spotted by the team.
“Karali marsh is recovering its earlier bird richness, which in the recent past ruined by unchecked sand mining,” WWF-India senior education officer V K Sivakumar said.
The Sakthikulangara-Neendakara harbour and Pallikkodi had the highest count with 1442 little egrets, 169 little cormorants, 182 intermediate egrets, 214 cattle egrets and 275 brahmini kites-- which are resident species- and 78 northern pintails and 76 whiskered terns along with few other migratory ones,the WWF-India official said.
Caspian terns, common green shanks, red shanks, sanderlings, eurasian curlew, whimbrels and terek sandpipers-- a ll migratory species-- were spotted at Vellanathuruth.Kandachira revealed 38 species, including 22 black-winged stilts.
Most of the sites are facing habitat loss and degradation, according to the organisation. “Many regular birding areas face major threats like pollution,land reclamation, invasive species,lack of agriculture and unscientific development,” it said.