Rain attracts migratory birds to Pallikaranai marshland

Bird watchers say that the initiatives undertaken by the forest department in the marshland are also expected to augur well for the arrival of migratory birds. 

They are jubilant that the recent rain in July and August has done a lot of good to the Pallikaranai marshland. Further, the wetland has already started attracting a sizable number of migratory birds, well ahead of the North-east monsoon. The Forest department’s act of desilting the channel through which water flows to the wetland from Perumbakkam and Nanmangalm Reserve Forests (RFs) has also helped.

KVRK Thirunaranan, founder, The Nature Trust and a bird watcher, told DTNext, “During the heavy rains and subsequent floods in 2015, water was released from the wetland, resulting in it going dry in a few days. Similarly, Cyclone Vardah caused havoc in 2016. However, things are different this year, as intermittent spell of rain in the recent days has given a fresh lease of life to the wetland, which holds enough water to attract both resident and migratory birds.”

He has already documented some migratory birds like Ruff, Wood sand piper and common sand piper in minimum number at the land. “We expect many migratory birds during North-east monsoon,” the bird watcher.

KV Sudhakar, president, Madras Naturalists’ Society (MNS), said, “Usually, the migratory bird season in Pallikaranai wetland is between September to April, when there is very low temperature prevailing in Northern latitude. Since this creates favourable conditions in the wetland, more number of migratory birds will come.”

S Ashokan, District Forest Officer (DFO), Chennai, pointing out that the Public Works Department (PWD) had desilted the channel approaching the wetland, said, “It is needless to say the wetland is like a bird sanctuary and we have undertaken some improvement work like fencing and removing encroachment in and around the wetland,” he said. The forest officer also said that they were also monitoring the habitat closely, to prevent poaching.