SRIKAKULAM: Barley a month ahead of rainy season, majority of migratory birds such as Pelicans and Painted Storks among 123 species, which visited Telineelapuram village of Tekkali mandal in their annual sojourn, have started their return journey.Hundreds of these birds migrated here from as far as Central and North Asia, Leh and Siberia in September and October last year. During their stay at Telineelapuram which served as their second home, hundreds of chicks were born. After the chicks were strong enough to make thousands of kilometres journey back home, the birds started to return in flocks to their native places.According to forest department sources, around 1,350 birds had come to the place this year. Though 750 chicks were born, only 350 of them could survive as the rest of them died due to lack of protection and conservation system and poaching. The place marked an increase in number of tourists with 47,000 of them making a visit against 35,000 last year, they added. With Telineelapuram set for rapid industrialisation and urbanisation, the locals fear that the number of migratory birds, which has almost become synonymous with the place, will drastically come down and the area will lose its distinction of being a tourist attraction.Bird Watcher Visweswara Rao, who rescued 25 Pelican and Painted Stork chicks from the brink of death, said the place was gradually becoming unsupportive for the birds as the water bodies were being covered with concrete buildings and several industries. The major threat to the natural habitation of the birds is the proposed thermal plant on 2000 acres of water body by East Coast Energy Company Private Limited.Rao said there was a need for a united effort by the locals to preserve the place for future generation of migratory birds. There are 43 trees in 14.5 acres of main habitation area. But the people are proposing to cut down those trees for house construction and other needs. The government must announce it as a protected area to save the habitation.Besides, six local ponds in the main habitation area must be deepened, says an ornithologist from Acharya NG Ranga Agriculture University of Hyderabad Sravan Kumar.However, for bird lovers, the good news is that they have another destination at Telukunche of Itchapuram mandal which will be visited by Indian Open Build Storks from June to December.
Comments
0 comment