Annual bird census begins in Tamil Nadu's Kodiyakarai

NAGAPATTINAM: The annual bird census at the Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary in Kodiyakarai began on Saturday, and was attended by students, officials, and researchers. The two-day bird census is part of a statewide survey called the ‘Tamil Nadu Synchronized Bird Census’ conducted by the forest department. The department registers the birds and the bird species found in sanctuaries to record their presence for a particular year.

“The first day is a trial. We divided around 45 participants into twelve teams and sent them to places across Kodiyakarai and Kodiyakadu to survey the birds. Each team consists of a forest department staff, students and nonprofit organization members. The survey on the second day will be the actual and conclusive registration,” said B Ayub Khan, forest range officer in Vedaranyam.

Participants from AVC Autonomous College in Mayiladuthurai included its wildlife biology students, zoology students, researchers, staff and research scholars. The forest department staff included the ranger, foresters, guards, anti-poaching watchers and retired researchers. Wildlife biologist N Baskaran from AVC Autonomous College made a presentation and gave the students a crash course on the first day of the bird census.

The teams visited various places such as salt pan pump houses, channel mouths, wetland islands, bird congregation points, water bodies and seashores of coastal villages and started counting a number of birds in the species.

The participants carried binoculars, notebooks, manuals, and pocket counters for the census. The survey numbers would be used to determine the average number of bird sightings. The officials stated that the results of the census would be released after the conclusion. The bird count was moderate on the first day. We found smaller birds and waders like little stints. We could not sight too many flamingoes,” said P Srinivasan, a teacher from the Government Higher Secondary School in Kodiyakarai.