CHENNAI: Preparations are under way for a State-wide bird census, which, for the first time, will be conducted in three phases to include inland wetlands and conservation areas. A pre-census survey conducted estimates the presence of a record seven lakh winged visitors in the southern coasts of Tamil Nadu.
Chief Wildlife Warden Shekhar Kumar Niraj convened a preliminary meeting with three institutional partners, represented by senior scientists from the Bombay Natural History Society, Wildlife Institute of India, and Dr Salim Ali Centre for Conservation of Nature, along with 38 district and circle-level officers to discuss the methodology and other modalities of the bird census.
Usually, the census is carried out in February. But this time it was decided to advance it to the last week of January, which is when the bird numbers are expected to peak. The Forest Department had initially planned to carry out a synchronised census in all 16 bird sanctuaries, marshlands and other significant wetlands in TN.
“But considering the enormity of the exercise, the census has been divided into three phases. The first will be conducted around January 24 over two days for coastal and shore birds. The second would be a week later over two days for the important inland wetlands. The third will focus on terrestrial birds in all inland conservation areas, such as the five tiger reserves, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and important identified bird areas,” the chief wildlife warden told TNIE.
Members of civil society, NGOs, college students, and anyone else interested are welcome to participate in the census. “It will focus on assessment of species abundance, migratory species composition, species diversity, and population changes,” he said.
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The data derived will be analysed by scientists from the three partner institutions and forest officials. A consolidated report will be submitted to the chief wildlife warden, who will forward it to the Union Environment Ministry. “The data will also be used as inputs for the National Birds Action Plan, which is being prepared by the Wildlife Institute of India,” Niraj said.
S Balachandran, deputy director of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), who is spearheading the pre-census survey, told TNIE: “At the Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary in Kodiakarai alone, we estimated about 7 lakh migratory birds. I have visited almost all coastal bird habitats, except Pulicat, which will be covered in a couple of days. The number is inching towards 10 lakh, which has never been witnessed in the last two decades.”
About 20,000 greater flamingos were spotted by the team along Muthupet and Pichavaram mudflats. The data will be important in deciding management actions and protection of important coastal habitats, Niraj said.
Migratory birds are found in record numbers this year due to good monsoon in the last two years. The seasonal ritual of migration occurs every year over the Central Asian Flyway, comprising 29 countries, including Iraq, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Nepal, India, Myanmar, and Maldives. The birds take the long non-stop haul from Arctic and European regions in winter to South Asia, and usually stop over in the coastal swamps at Point Calimere.