NAGAPATTINAM: It's only August, but migratory birds have already started visiting the Point Calimere Wildlife and Birds Sanctuary in Kodiyakarai. The sanctuary usually sees birds, including endangered ones, from across countries and continents, only around monsoon season in October and November.
However, unseasonal rain in the past two weeks in Vedaranyam is said to be the reason for the early migration. The downpours have recharged and enriched mudflats around the sanctuary and caused water stagnation, which attracts water birds.
Around 70 per cent of the continental migratory and local migratory birds that visit Kodiyakarai are water birds. "Changes in global climate could be a reason for early migration. Such changes impact the migration season of birds travelling across hemispheres," said S Kalanidhi, District Forest Officer in Nagapattinam.
"Kodiyakarai, which is one of the largest mudflats in the eastern coast, provides a large source of benthic fauna food for migratory birds. We can see the regular visitors already. We have also spotted endangered migratory bird species like the Great Knot. We are studying their visits and recording their arrivals," said S Balachandran, an ornithologist and Deputy Director of Bombay Natural History Society, who works in Kodiyakarai.
Two bird species which arrive in large numbers -- Little Stint and Curlew Sandpipers -- were among others, such as Caspian Terns, Marsh Sandpiper, Common Redshank, Flamingoes and Eurasian Curlew, spotted in the sanctuary.
A modest number of local migratory birds like Pelican and Painted Stork have also been spotted. The migratory season is expected to peak around October. Ornithologists will mount rings on the birds' talons to identify their travel routes for further research.
The annual bird census is scheduled to begin in February. Some ornithologists believe that this will not reflect the exact presence of birds due to the delayed start of the census. They are considering conducting the census in November and December.