Rare birds sighted in Polachira wetlands

The Hindu,January 24, 2017 
KOLLAM:  
The 27th annual waterfowl census in the Polachira wetlands in Kollam district carried out by Warblers and Waders (WW) counted 3,117 water birds of 43 species. The census, which concluded on Sunday, was led by founder-member of WW C. Susanth.
The highlight of the census was the sighting of Comb ducks, a rare winter visitor to Kerala. The previous few sightings in Kerala were recorded only from the Kole wetlands in Thrissur. This is the first time that Comb ducks have been sighted in South Kerala. Eurasian wigeon, another migratory wild duck, was also sighted.

This year, 15 Eurasian spoonbills were sighted at Polachira. This bird is a new winter visitor to the Polachira wetlands, Mr. Susanth said. Lesser whistling ducks were seen more this year, from 420 sightings last year to 1,358 this time. The presence of wader species like Marsh sandpiper, Wood sandpiper, Little ringed plover, Black winged stilt, and Little stint had also increased. The WW team that comprised bird experts K.A. Kishore and Abhiram Chandran observed that the Polachira wetland was shrinking due to unauthorised pumping of water. This could be the reason for the slight increase in the presence of waders in the wetland, they said. At the same time, the shrinking effect had affected the presence of Purple swamphens, Cotton teals, Garganey teals and Oriental darters.

Mr. Susanth said the birds that were not sighted this year are Northern pintail ducks, Asian openbills, Red shanks, Pacific golden plover and the Indian Cormorant. Other significant sightings were Black headed ibis, Painted storks, Glossy Ibis, Indian moorhen, Eurasian coot, Pheasant-tailed jacana, Grey heron, Green shank, Large cormorant and Large egret. During the census by WW last year, 1,069 water birds belonging to 25 species were recorded from the Polachira wetlands..

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Rare owl spotted in Thrissur dist.

K.A. Shaji
Palakkad,  
The Hindu, January 6, 2015 

A rare species of owl, sighted occasionally by ornithologists in the Middle East and West Central Asia, was spotted in the kole wetlands at Enamavu, near Chettuva, in Thrissur district in the second week of December by a birdwatcher.

The spotting has received the validation of leading experts in the field. The Pallid scops owl was spotted by birdwatcher Shah Jahan at 9.30 p.m. on December 14. Ornithologists confirm that it is the first spotting of the bird in south India. “It had been spotted earlier only in Gujarat, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra on rare occasions,” say ornithologists. Praveen J., who authored Birds of Kerala - Status and Distribution, says it is the latest among 500 species of birds found in Kerala. “I am sure it is Pallid scops owl. We have a few records of their seasonal migration to Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. Perhaps, the cold spell in north India may have pushed the birds further down,” says ornithologist H.S. Sangha

“The Pallid scops owl is a small owl that eats insects, lizards, spiders, and small mammals. These birds hunt at night. On rare occasions, it has been observed to be hunting during day time. The owl normally breeds between April and June and is a migratory bird. They lay 4 to 6 eggs in tree holes,’’ Shah Jahan told The Hindu . “The recorded photographs and videos have been sent to the authorities concerned for validation of the identification of the owl. The verifiers’ list includes famous bird watcher Nick Moran of Great Britain, Indian ornithologist Harkirat Sangha, and Rajah Jayapal, Principal Scientist at the Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History. They have endorsed the identification,’’ he said.

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Wetlands in Malabar under threat

MITHOSH JOSEPH

Rapid urbanisation, pollution affect fragile regions
Rapid urbanisation, pollution, and reclamation of land for industrial development are threatening the existence of over 100 identified wetlands in northern Kerala.
Human encroachment and conversion of wetland areas for aquaculture, agriculture, and settlement had also been causing unfavourable changes in the chemical and biological composition of these ecologically fragile places.

Photo courtesy Wikimedia commons

Of the 100 wetlands identified in northern Kerala, 17 important wetlands — located in Kozhikode, Kannur, Wayanad, Kasaragod, and Malappuram districts — had been identified as highly prone to exploitation (including exploitation for natural resources, unregulated spatial development, and disposal of domestic sewage and industrial effluents).
Prime threats
A recent study by the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), Kozhikode, had identified land-filling and pollution as major threats for the 17 important wetlands in the Malabar region.
Wetlands in Kavvayi, Chempallikkundu, Pulathuruthpandy, Elathuruthpandy, Kottappally, Aavala, Cherandathur, Kandanchira, Akalappuzha, Govindhankettu, Erangikkal, Kottuli, Mavoor, Olavanna, Kadalundi, Thattanchuttythuruth, and Purathur had been identified as locations with heavy loss of vegetation.
Large-scale poaching of wetland birds had been reported from the Pulathuruthpandy, Govindhankettu, and Mavoor wetlands in Kozhikode district.
Weed infestation, and reckless dumping of plastic and solid wastes were also major threats, the study said.
The wetlands of Sasthamcotta, Ashtamudi, and Vembanad had been named as Ramsar Sites but Kavvayi in Malabar had not been identified as one.
The CWRDM had asked the State government to take steps to take steps to ensure protection of all wetlands.

Over 100 wetlands identified in Malabar

Dumping of wastes a major threat

The Hindu, 13/2/2012

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