Bird watching, anyone?
They sparrow is now rarely seen in the city. Thanks to the concreate jungle and glass-chrome buildings that have come up, the sparrow has gone further away into the villages. For those who think that birds are now vanishing there is hope. If you have the passion, patience and the will you could still spot many. Mohammed Adnanuddin, a lecturer and avid birdwatcher made the most of lockdown and spotted more than 100 species of birds in Bodhan.
Indian monsoon lays a green carpet on earth and it is enthralling to see how the everyday landscape completely transforms after the rains. It is as if the engines of nature get oiled during monsoon. Adnan, who teaches Political Science to civil service aspirants moved to his hometown in March and ever since has been watching birds at Bellal Lake and its surroundings.
Monsoon also heralds the start of breeding season for many species. Nesting activity, courtship rituals become commonplace. It wasn’t just the birds but also the diversity of species like butterflies, insects and reptiles that he spotted.
Indian Peafowl (Commonly called Peacock)
The State of India’s Birds 2020 Report has also highlighted the growth in numbers of Indian Peacock. Thanks to their loud may-awe calls, it gets easier to know their presence in the vicinity. The National Bird of India is commonly found foraging near agricultural fields. They are quite active at dawn and dusk.The fan-shaped crest on the head and the eye-shaped feathers are such a treat to watch when the peacock displays before the peahen.
Cinnamon Bittern
It’s shy bird which is very good in concealing itself. Not overly secretive but it flies away seeing human presence. It is usually found near reedbeds and paddy fields. He spotted around 4 male bitterns near the lake. The bird feeds on fishes, worms and frogs and is distributed throughout Asia, especially Southeast Asia.
Yellow Bittern
Yellow Bittern inhabits vegetated wetlands and reedbeds and is really difficult to spot. Its habitat and behaviour are almost similar toCinnamon Bittern. Watching the bird move through the reeds by clinging to the leaves was a sight to behold!
Ruddy-breasted crake
Water birds- Ruddy-breasted crake and Brown crake belong to rail and crake family Rallidae. Found near marshes, it is extremely shy and rarely ventures out from the reeds. With long toes and a short tail, it looks very cute as it runs quickly to chases insects on the ground.
Indian nightjar
A nocturnal bird, it snoozes during the day and gets active at dawn and dusk, scouting for insects.The Latin name of the bird translates to “goat sucker” referring to an ancient myth that the bird sucks on the milk of goats in the night.However, their diet mainly consists of insects.They are such masters of disguise.
Jacobin Cuckoo (Pied Cuckoo)
The sighting of this bird is considered welcome as it heralds the onset of monsoon in India. Although the bird is resident to India, there is another population which is believed to reach India through Africa by riding the winds of monsoon. Birdwatchers in India have been trying to see the correlation between the first sighting of the cuckoo and match it with the onset of monsoon in India. Recently, Dr Suresh Kumar from Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and his team have tagged a Pied Cuckoo with a satellite transmitter to study the migration of the species. The tagged bird has been named “Megh”, a short for Meghdoot meaning cloud messenger. It will be interesting to see if the study unravels the legend of the bird.
A beautiful feline, it had a mix of reddish and sandy brown coat. Jungle Cats are mostly found near swampy and marshy areas and near reedbeds and paddy fields. They are carnivorousand their diet includes rodents, birds and small mammals.
An exciting development is, finding a pair of Woolly-necked stork hovering in the sky. The bird is listed in IUCN Red List as “Vulnerable”. The presence of different types of species in a small town signifies the biodiversity potential of towns and villages in the Telugu states which is yet to be explored properly. Knowing species distribution is essential for wildlife conservation.
If you are interested in joining the birdwatchers’ society in Hyderabad. You may contact Adnan at 95337 01702
