CHENNAI: Watch out, for it is cloudy with a chance of sighting an Indian Pitta. The green and orange-brown bird, that migrates from Himalayas, hills of central and western India, to other parts of the peninsula in winter, has been crashing at the doorsteps of houses of Tamil Nadu.
Indian Pittas are characterised by their strong legs, a very short tail and stout bill, with a buff-coloured crown stripe, black coronal stripes, a thick black eye stripe and white throat and neck. These birds that fly across the country, start arriving in the State around September and are spotted until March. Some of them, however, get dehydrated, disoriented and tired after a long flight and crash down at balconies and apartments in urban areas accidentally.
Many households across the State, have been sighting these birds recently. While these birds are fragile and do not survive rough handling by humans, one can save these birds by following a few simple steps.
Supramani Jegdish woke up one day, to see the bird fallen down near his house and thought it was injured and posted about it on an animal lovers group asking what he should do. “It looked too small and unable to fly. I feared that cats might eat it if I let it out,” he said seeking help. Meghna Sumesh, another resident of Chennai, also said that a Pitta had landed on her balcony. A few more Pitta crash incidents were observed in southern districts of Tamil Nadu.
“Indian Pittas are birds that are usually active during dawn and dusk. Although they are colourful, they usually hide in thickets and bushes eating insects during the day,” said KV Sudhakar from Madras Naturalists Society. He said these birds might however be at risk of being eaten by cats, dogs or other predators, when they fall down after getting dehydrated. “The easiest way to protect these birds is by simply leaving a bowl of water with a pinch of glucose in it in a cool safe place,” he said.When there is an increase in temperature, Pittas get dehydrated and fall down more often.
“They often recover within a day or two after they land. It is important not to touch them unnecessarily or take selfies with them. They recuperate quickly after they are hydrated,” said Susy Verghese, a professor and resident at IIT-Madras, who is also an avid bird-watcher. If the birds are found sick in exposed areas, they should carefully be transferred to a cardboard box with holes in it, she said adding that a small cup of water alone will be enough care.
Geetha Jayakumar, a long-time resident of Theosophical Society and a bird-watcher, said once the Pitta recovers, it should be released to continue its journey. “They should be released at dawn or dusk either from the same place they were rescued or in a safe bushy place,” she said adding that the birds should not be fed grains or millet as they eat only insects.
Following these simple procedures, 14 out of 15 birds were allowed to fly back freely, said Shravan Krishnan, founder of Hotel for Dogs.“We have been getting a lot of calls about Indian Pittas in Chennai. I have got around 15 calls in the last three days about these birds landing in people’s balcony and homes dehydrated and disoriented. After listening to our advice, 14 of these birds were able to take off and continue their journey,” he said.