Fall in number of migratory birds in pokkali fields not a worrying trend, say birders
Birders and ornithologists have discounted concern raised by residents of Chellanam about what they claimed is the near absence of migratory birds in some pokkali field collectives like Kandakkadavu, Maruvakkkad, and Chalapuram in the coastal village, describing the situation as not indicative of a trend.
“There are no reports of noticeable reduction in bird arrivals at sites that are regularly monitored,” said P.O. Nameer, Dean, KAU College of Climate Change and Environmental Science, Vellanikkara, who has studied and written extensively on bird population in Kerala. He said that all the Ramsar sites were regularly monitored. There are no declining trends available from preliminary reports.
“Though some pokkali fields may not have seen migratory birds in their normal strength this time, there are reports of their arrivals in areas like Pallithode,” said birder Premchand J. when the concern of Chellanam residents was pointed out. He said that several of the birds that flock to Chellanam and other pokkali fields mostly arrived from Europe. He added that his recent visits to Ettayapuram near Aluva and to Edakkattuvayal near Piravom had also not revealed any significant change in arrivals.
No serious issues had been noted this season on the migratory bird front, said Vishnupriyan Kartha, secretary of Cochin Natural History Society. He said that normal bird activities had been reported from areas close to Chellanam like Pallithode, Kadamakkudy, and Changaram. “What some residents of Chellanam have reported on can be related to local changes, which has not been widely noted because there are no longterm indications about a significant fall in the arrival of these birds,” he added.
Social activist V.T. Sebastian of Chellanam, who voiced concern about what he perceived as virtual shut down on bird activities in two major paddy collectives totalling more than 1,000 acres in Kandakkadavu, Maruvakkad and Chalkkadavu, said he was surprised by the serious fall in number of bird arrivals as well as a reduction in the number of varieties of birds.
He also admitted that there were considerable activities in neighbouring Thuravumkara, Cherungal, Changaram, Pallithode, and Chellappuram areas.
‘A warning’
One of the birders said that instances of peacocks and fowls being spotted increasingly in nontraditional areas might be considered as a warning about the State getting more dry as the years go by.
These popular varieties of birds were now being spotted close to Kochi, said Mr. Kartha, who claimed these birds were earlier freely spotted only in dry areas.