Birdwatchers, volunteers invited for Tamirabharani Waterbird Count  

The 14th Tamirabharani Waterbird Count in Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, and Thoothukudi districts will be conducted from February 15 to 17, 2024.

The 14th edition of Tamirabharani Waterbird Count, which is conducted every year to spot and document domestic and migratory waterbirds visiting the water bodies of Tirunelveli, Tenkasi and Thoothukudi districts, will be conducted from February 15 to 17.

This collaborative event is organised by ATREE’s Agathyamalai Community Conservation Centre, Manimutharu; Nellai Nature Club, Tirunelveli; Pearl City Nature Society, Thoothukudi; and Pushpalata Educational Centre, Tirunelveli, with financial assistance from Brakes India and Sundaram Finance.

 The perennial Tamirabharani river, along with its tributaries and irrigation tanks in Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, and Thoothukudi districts, not only sustains agriculture but also transforms these regions into a rice bowl and banana basket of southern Tamil Nadu. These tanks are havens for a multitude of waterfowls and migratory birds during winter, boasting over 100 waterbird species in the Tamirabharani landscape.

 While Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary is synonymous with bird watching in Tirunelveli district, numerous other ponds in the southern districts serve as vital habitat for thousands of birds. The trees surrounding Tirunelveli’s Nainarkulam pond, even though highly-polluted, still provides nesting grounds for Darter and Grey Heron, while Vadakku Kazhuvoor and Gangaikondan tanks witness nesting of Pelicans and Ibises every year. Rajagopalaperi and Vagaikulam tanks in Tenkasi district are thriving breeding grounds and the migratory species are abundant in Rajavallipuram, Kalkurichi, Kuppaikurichi tanks in Tirunelveli, and Perungulam, Vellur, Kadambaakulam, Nallur tanks in Thoothukudi district. The abundance of birds in a pond indicates its fertility.

Since 2011, this survey, conducted with the active participation of local residents, aims to protect and conserve these ponds, preventing their destruction and ensuring proper management.

Bird experts and volunteers are welcome to join the TWC 2024.  Aspirants may register online via https://forms.gle/U9BEncWns5fowJ3z8. For further inquiries, contact A. Thanigaivel via email at twbc2020@gmail.com or by phone at 94429 65315. Registration closes on February 14. “Your participation will contribute to the conservation and betterment of our cherished ponds and their diverse avian inhabitants,” the organisers say.

 After orientation for volunteers at 2.30 p.m. in Pushpalata School, Palayamkottai on February 15, the waterbird census in Tenkasi, Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts will be conducted on February 16 and 17, said M. Mathivanan Coordinator, TWC 2024.