COIMBATORE: Indian pitta (Pitta brachyura), a migratory bird usually found in dense forests, Asian brown flycatcher (muscicapa dauurica), which breeds in Himalayan foothills, and many other migratory, as well as resident birds, have been spotted in Racecourse, indicative of thriving ecosystem.
B Satish, secretary of Racecourse and Neighbourhood Association (RANA) said, “Spotting of the Indian pitta, which has a stumpy tail is rare. The same is the case with Asian brown flycatchers. The small flycatcher has its plumage in ash brown on the top and light grey-brown in the bottom.”
He suggested that the presence of a large number of fruit trees and sandalwood trees and the rejuvenation of nearby Valankulam were reasons for birds’ nesting in Racecourse over the last few years. Due to recent rains, they have arrived in Racecourse in large numbers despite frequent vehicle movement, he said.
“Indian pitta tends to hop away rather than fly when disturbed. In Tamil, the bird is called Aarumani Kuruvi and Thottakkallan. It usually emerges from bushes and makes a call at 6 am, like a morning alarm. Hence the name Aarumani Kuruvi. Also, the bird picks up the feed in the grove (Thottam in Tamil) and is hence called Thottakallan. Occasionally, it eats food scraps from the ground in rural areas. The bird breeds in Himalayan foothills, northeast Pakistan, Western Indian Hills and Sri Lanka,” said A Pavendhan, one of the authors of Birds of Coimbatore, a book released by Coimbatore Nature Society (CNS) and Young India in January 2021.
“The Asian brown flycatcher is seen in open subtropical broad-leaved forests and groves and prefers proximity to streams. It feeds primarily on flies, beetles, wasps, insect larvae and small fruits. Its behaviour is similar to that of a spotted flycatcher (Muscicapa striata). It breeds in the Himalayan foothills and hills of Central and West India, eastern Siberia and Japan,” he said.
Satish, an industrialist who is also a birding enthusiast and a wildlife photographer, said migratory birds arrived in Racecourse during the months of October, November and December. Apart from Indian pitta, he has recorded 21 different birds such as black-hooded oriole, Indian paradise flycatcher and shikra which take shelter in trees near his house for the past few years and nearby Valankulam.
Satish appealed to Collector GS Sameeran and Corporation Commissioner Raja Gopal Sunkara to ban fishing at Valankulam as more than 200 pelicans were found in the waterbody recently.
“Within a few minutes of spotting them, a fisherman on a boat chased them away. The fisherman went ahead even after morning walkers warned him against chasing the birds away,” Satish further said.