RAIPUR: Patan area in Chhattisgarh, the most closely watched battleground in the recently held assembly polls, is now witnessing incredible sighting of huge flocks of migratory birds, leaving the bird watchers thrilled and many including the visitors mesmerised.
The region, about 40 km from Raipur, with nature trails for around 35 species of migratory birds that arrived in Chhattisgarh after flying mammoth long-distance routes traversing many countries.Bar Headed Goose, Northern Pintail, River Tern, Ruff, Ruddy Shelduck, Black-tailed Godwit, Whiskered Tern, Peregrine Falcon, Common Teal, Garganeys, Tufted duck, Siberian Stonechat among others have so far been traced.
“Patan has four water bodies, designated as a conservation zone. The State Biodiversity Board is developing it as a mega wetland complex ideally suited to be bird watching zone habitats for numerous migratory birds throng the area. Patan gets glimpse of surprises”, said a senior forest officer posted in Durg district where Patan is a rural constituency represented by the chief minister Bhupesh Baghel who contested against his nephew Vijay Baghel, BJP lok sabha MP.
Some of the birds stay for short duration to move on but good many are known to continue for the entire winter season.Ornithologists are jubilant to watch the place visited by migratory birds. Wildlife life photographer and bird watcher Raju Verma, a resident of Patan, said, “Around 35 varieties have already been recorded in the region. It’s a thrilling experience for the people”.
The birds arriving in Chhattisgarh are mostly through the East Asian-Australasian flyway that covers over 70 percent of the state along the three different routes, said ornithologist Ravi Naidu from Bombay National History Society.The birds arrived from the Euro-Siberian region which includes parts of Russia, China. Mongolia and Europe.
“Chhattisgarh is among the best stopovers that we have seen for migratory birds who arrive after covering their spectacular journeys from over two dozen countries. There are no natural wetlands in Chhattisgarh unlike in Gujarat or Maharashtra but the state has thousands of man-made wetlands. So some of the birds coming from as far as 8,000 km select ideal wetland for their feeding grounds and also as resting place”, Naidu told this newspaper.