TIRUPPUR: Pied Avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta), a winter migratory bird that breeds in Europe and very rarely found in inland water-bodies, has been spotted for the first time in the Nanjarayan tank and Tiruppur city. The sighting of Pied Avocet takes the number of bird species in Nanjarayan tank bird sanctuary to 187.
On Tuesday, Sivamani, a forest watcher clicked pictures of the bird and sent them to Nature Society of Tiruppur (NST) Geetha and she confirmed that the bird was Pied Avocet. Subsequently, NST president Ravindran Kamatchi along with Manoj visited the tank and recorded the presence of the bird again.
“This is a winter migratory bird which breeds in Europe and Central Asia. It visits Indian coastline during winter. More birds can be seen on the west coast. There are also chances that the single bird landed here through the Palghat ghat section,” Ravindran said.
“Earlier the bird’s presence was recorded in Nallathangal dam near Dharapuram, a few years back by Dharapuram Nature Society members. This is a coastal bird and very rarely found in inland water-bodies, and there are no records other than Nallathangal dam, in inland water bodies in Tamil Nadu,” he said.