Migration of birds in Tamil Nadu begins on good note

CHENNAI: With the onset of the northeast monsoon across the State, the bird migration has gained momentum in north Tamil Nadu and western Tamil Nadu which comprises ancient bird sanctuaries and nesting grounds for winged visitors from central Asia and north India.

Vedanthangal, one of the country’s oldest bird sanctuaries, and Pulicat sandwiched between Tamil Nadu and Andhra border has started recording the early arrival of birds and the pre-migration season has opened on a good note, thanks to the copious southwest monsoon rains.

In the case of Chengalpattu district, some of the water bodies have received copious inflow and this coupled with northeast monsoon rains will pave the way for better bird migration and nesting this season, Chennai city wildlife warden E Prashanth told DT Next.

So far around 5,000 birds have arrived in and around the Vedanthangal area. The month of August received good showers and we are hoping that the northeast monsoon would also receive good rains, the warden said, adding that the peak migration season for Vedanthangal and wetlands in Chengalpattu will be by the middle of January.

To a query on getting water from Valayaputhur Lake to Vedanthangal Lake, the warden said that the forest department has already begun the channel works to ensure that the surplus stormwater is drained into Vedanthangal supporting bird life.

“In Chennai, Pallikaranai marshland (PML) has started recording the arrival of birds. Bird watchers and foresters have started the enumeration, and the census details are regularly documented. Besides, the monthly bird census is also compiled to understand the bird life of PML,” said Chennai district forest officer S Shanmugham.

“The bird life is active in Chennai and Chengalpattu and the more than 1,200 Asian Openbill storks have arrived in Vedanthangal. And these Openbill storks also prefer Vedanthangal as a breeding ground and by January chicks will start coming out from the nest,” said a jubilant bird watcher KVRK Thirunaranan, founder of The Nature Trust.

The recent rains in the Chengalpattu, Tiruvallur, Tambaram, and Kancheepuram areas have brought the aquatic bird life back to serenity. The season is also good at Pallikaranai and Pulicat bird sanctuaries, attracting hundreds of pelicans, glossy ibis, and white ibis. In the case of PML, the early migratory birds have arrived and it started in August with the Yellow-tailed Wagtail registering its arrival. In September, grey-headed lapwing was recorded by duck varieties in October. All the regular migratory ducks including garganey, pintail, northern shoveler, and teal have arrived.

The movement of large birds like raptors is also encouraged in Kancheepuram and Chengalpattu wetlands.

“In case of raptors — Osprey, Western Marsh Harrier, Peregrine — the world’s fastest raptor has also arrived in PML,” Thirunaranan added.

Oystercatchers, Bar-tailed godwit, Long-tailed skua (a rare pelagic word), and Ruddy turnstone have also been recorded in Pulicat.

“Pulicat is also brimming with birdlife and the rare Black-capped kingfisher was recorded last month,” said Sikkander, a bird tracker and boatman in Pulicat bird sanctuary.