BENGALURU : This year’s bird festival, to be held from January 26-28, promises to be different. The location is near Chikkasangama Bird Sanctuary, where the Greater Flamingos flock at this time of year. Participants can watch the pink migratory beauties soak in the backwaters of the Krishna river at Almatti dam in Bagalkot.
Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, wildlife and Chief Executive Officer of Karnataka Ecotourism Development Board (KEDB) Kumar Pushkar told TNIE: “The location for the 10th edition of the bird festival is near Chikkasangama Bird Sanctuary. It is here that Greater Flamingos are seen in large numbers. Hence this time, the Greater Flamingo was chosen as the logo for the festival.”
That is not all, the Karnataka forest department will host a bird festival every quarter, starting this year.
Annually, the bird festival is held in the first week of January. But this time, it is being held towards the end of the month because of the large congregation. “From this year, the bird festival will be held every quarter. This decision was taken at the last board meeting with the aim to draw more people. The registration for every festival is limited to 60 people,” Pushkar said.
The next edition of the bird festival will be held soon after the general elections in April-May.
The idea of the festival is to explain to the people about the species, the importance of birds and nature conservation. The festival is organised by the forest department, Jungle Lodges and Resorts and KEDB.
“The location serves as an essential stopover and wintering ground for an array of migratory birds, just like Kokkrebellur or Ranganathittu or other places. But this time, Bagalkot was chosen as the festival has not been held here so far,” said another official from KEDB.
The dip in Almatti backwaters and the dam serve as an ideal location for native and migratory birds, and becomes a temporary home till the end of winter. The sight of flamingos wading through the shallow depths of the backwaters is a spectacle that captivates both seasoned birdwatchers and casual observers. The other birds that can be sighted here are pelicans, storks, cranes and a variety of waterfowl.