HYDERABAD: Bird watchers and nature enthusiasts of Hyderabad are expressing concern as the number of migratory birds visiting the lakes in and around the city has declined substantially. The usual hot spots for winter visitors like Manjeera, Osmansagar and Ameenpur lake which used to host different species of birds this time of the year are now providing haven to just a few.
Speaking to TNIE, Syam Sundar Potturi, a bird watcher and an IT professional says, “The Indian paradise flycatcher, sandpipers, Eurasian spoonbill among others which used to appear in hundreds are now seen only in small numbers. Birds like northern showers, garganey, bluethroat, black-tailed godwits which used to visit Hyderabad in the winters have not been seen yet.”
He explains that flycatchers come from the Himalayan foothills to spend their winters here in the south. “Migratory birds from Europe which we used to spot have not visited yet and I hope to see them by January or February next year before the season ends.” The arrival of birds in all these lakes have reduced hugely, say nature lovers. A few green-winged teal birds from the US were seen in Mokila lake this year but their count is also very less. “We used to conduct regular bird walks to spot these beautiful birds but as we are rarely spotting them, we have reduced our visits to these places.”
Some citizens say that flamingos haven’t been visiting for a few years now. This is mostly because of the high water levels as they need shallow waters. Just a few of them visited in 2020 for one day and they did not return.
“As most of these birds are waders they require shallow waters with mud paths so that they can fetch food,” says Syam Sundar. “Two major reasons could be that, this year we had good rainfall and the levels in lakes and other water bodies are high. Secondly, we are building boundaries and buildings around lakes areas which is reducing the habitat for birds. These conditions are similar in all the lakes in the city,” the bird lover rues.