Positive tidings for waterbirds

The Hindu, January 30, 2016

There has been a 30 per cent increase in the number of waterbirds in Thiruvananthapuram district, the Asian Waterfowl Census, a comprehensive water bird count, says.

The census, carried out on Tuesday, also records spotting of 49 species of birds from Punchakkari, Vellayani, Aruvikkara Reservoir, Akkulam-Veli Lake Complex, Poovar and selected wetlands, including the paddy fields under Krishi Bhavan near Kesavadasapuram.

Of these waterbirds, 15 species are migratory including Black headed gulls, Kentish plovers, Green sandpipers, Wood sandpipers, Sanderlings and Whiskered terns.

The exercise was carried out in six major locations in the capital district by WWF-India with the support of the Social Forestry Wing of Forests and Wildlife Department. Though the number of waterbirds is higher than the last immediate years, a decadal comparison does not show a positive trend. Habitat loss and climate change are the major culprits for this fall.

The heavy rains in the past few months that has considerably elevated the water level is another reason for the fewer number of waterbirds in Punchakkari and Vellayani wetlands, the two major birding hotspots in the outskirts of city .

According to the report, the increased presence of aquatic weeds in Aruvikkara reservoir is one of the major reasons for habitat degradation.

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Wetlands attract more winged visitors

Thiruvananthapuram, 
The Hindu, January 26, 2016

The five major wetlands in Kerala, including the Vellayani, Sasthamkotta, Vembanad, Ashtamudi and Pookode lakes, and their surrounding areas are attracting more migratory birds this year, a survey conducted by the Kerala State Biodiversity Board (KSBB) has revealed.

Check list

The board is preparing a check list of birds, as part of the biodiversity assessment of the wetlands. Birdwatching teams are keeping a close tab on the lakes to take stock of the winged visitors. The teams comprising the project groups tasked with the preparation of Panchayat Biodiversity Registers (PBR) visit the allocated area at least two times every week for the survey.

The survey team for the Sasthamkotta wetlands recently recorded the first sighting of the white-necked stork.

Also known as the woolly necked stork or Karuvarakkuru in Malayalam, the species had earlier been sighted at Vembanad, Kole wetlands and along the banks of the Bharathapuzha.

The white neck of the bird contrasts with the black head and body and the large bill is grey with a reddish tip. The legs and feet are red and the eyes deep red.

Measuring up to 95 cm in length, it prefers waterlogged areas and cultivated areas and mostly feeds on fish, frogs, snakes, crabs and molluscs. They rarely wade.

According to the IUCN status, the bird is classified as a vulnerable species.

“We have noticed that the number of migratory birds visiting the wetlands of Kerala is higher this year,” says KSBB member secretary K.P. Laladhas. “It requires a detailed study to understand if this is linked to climate change”.

Favourite spots

The birdwatching team deployed at the Sasthamkotta lake has identified 65 species while that for Vellayani has recorded 131 species.

“The high altitude lake at Pookode in Wayanad seems to have a strong biodiversity, perhaps because of its proximity to the forest,” Dr. Laladhas said.

The biodiversity assessment of wetlands assumes significance in the light of the threats faced by the fragile ecosystems, including the three Ramsar sites — the Sasthamcotta and Ashtamudi lakes and the Vembanad- Kole lands.

In the absence of a conservation and sustainable management plan, the lakes in Kerala are increasingly prone to encroachment, pollution, and debilitation caused by invasive alien species.

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