CHENNAI: Pallikarnai Margazhi Thiruvizha, an immersive guided bird-watching experience, kickstarted on Saturday. Bird watchers were treated to large groups of blue-tailed bee eaters and painted storks as they thronged the wetlands.
The Tamil month Margazhi also coincides with the bird migratory calendar when Chennai’s wetlands play host to thousands of birds. Care Earth Trust, in collaboration with the Forest department, will be conducting the walks on all weekends (Saturday and Sunday) till January 9.
“The congregation of birds is comparatively lesser this year due to the adverse weather conditions over the past couple of months and pollution that keeps getting worse by the year. We can expect more birds by mid-January,” said ecologist Srinivas Anand.
While entry is free, the attendees must register at https://forms.gle/Yycx7e2FSBZgeWiz7 and assemble at the Mohammed Sathak College. The walk will be held between 7 and 9 am and the bird watchers will be accompanied by ornithologists and botanists. As per the 2019-2020 census, approximately 2,65,313 birds have been identified in the swamp.