TUMKUR: Kaggaladu village near Sira, about 128 km from Bangalore, has become a potential bird sanctuary. Around 7-8 tamarind trees turn into home for the painted storks from November to May every year.
The painted storks come here in November from far away Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, and leave by May after completing their cycle of breeding.
The villagers treat the birds as family members and never pluck the tamarind as it would disturb the nests.
Every villager has turned into an ornithologist and they have a good account of the life style of the birds.
The female birds leave their nests early in the morning to hunt for prey, ensuring that their males guard the nest. They come back with frogs or fish from the two tanks nearby, and feed their offspring and leave soon after.
A youth Narasimha Murthy said that if the offspring fall down, the other birds do not pick them up and they are ostracised. “We care for them in a cage and treat and feed them until they grow enough to fly away,” he said.
When the birds first came to this village, miscreants used to trouble them.
It was environmentalist ‘snake’ Nandish - an Ashoka Fellowship Awardee from this place who explored Kaggaladu and convinced the villagers not to disturb the birds.
As he took the initiative, the forest department erected a sign board and created awareness among the people.
Since enough care was taken, the birds did not stop coming and made it their destination for breeding.Before they leave by May-June it is worth a visit for bird lovers and ornithologists.
devaraj@epmltd.com