NAGAPATTINAM: The Tamil Nadu state-level synchronised terrestrial bird census was conducted on February 14 and 15 in the coastal delta, across the Mayiladuthurai, Sirkazhi, Nagapattinam, and Vedaranyam forest ranges, identifying 72 species in the Mayiladuthurai district and over 60 species in Nagapattinam, official sources said.
The surveys were carried out at 40 locations, 10 designated forest trails in each forest range across the districts, with the support of students, volunteers and forest personnel. During the census in Mayiladuthurai, several bird species were recorded, including the Indian Roller, which falls under the Near Threatened category of the IUCN Red List.
“Uncommon species such as the Ashy Prinia and Lesser Flameback Woodpecker were also spotted, indicating healthy habitat diversity. Commonly seen birds included the Rose-ringed Parakeet, Common Crow, Jungle Crow, Black Kite, Woodpecker, Common Babbler, Common Myna, Spotted Dove, and Red-vented Bulbul, reflecting a strong presence of both native and adaptable bird populations in the region,” said Dr J Pandian, Associate Professor at AVC College.
Sources said that in Nagapattinam, species including Indian peafowl, spotted dove, Asian palm swift, red-wattled lapwing, common iora, Indian paradise flycatcher, rufous treepie, shirka, rosy starling, blue-faced malhoka, Green bee eater, white-browed bulbul, red-vented bulbul, yellow-billed babbler, common myna, and brown shrike were recorded. As part of the programme, in Mayiladuthurai, a training session was held on February 14 at AVC College (Autonomous). Pandiyan demonstrated bird identification and census methods, while Dr M Moorthi explained standard operating procedures for field surveys.
Dr M Baskaran, Head of the Department, spoke about the importance of long-term bird population monitoring. In Nagapattinam, the training session was conducted by Dr Arivu, a wildlife biologist at Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary. Officials noted that this season is ideal for documenting both local terrestrial birds and migratory species, making the census crucial for understanding bird diversity and population trends.
Officials said that teams used the line transect approach with the point and block count method, walking around 2.5 km stretches. “Direct visual counts combined with acoustic surveys (listening for calls) for accurate detection in varied habitats were conducted,” said Sirkazhi Forest Range Officer Ayub Khan.