Wayanad wetland bird census records 1,470 birds
The Hindu
Survey notes decline in population of lesser whistling ducks
The Wayanad Wetland Bird Count, organised by the Hume Centre for Ecology and Wildlife Biology in association with Social Forestry Wayanad, recorded 1,470 birds belonging to 140 species, including 46 wetland exclusive birds. The two-day programme was organised as a part of the Asian Waterbird Census.
The citizen science initiative tried to enumerate resident and migratory waterfowls associated with the major wetland ecosystems in the district such as Banasura and Karapuzha reservoir areas; Arattuthara, Valliyoor Kavu, and Panamaram paddy fields; and Ammavayal and Golur waterbodies inside the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.
The key species that were recorded during the counting are spot-billed ducks, common teals, painted storks, lesser whistling ducks, and river terns, said C.K. Vishnudas, conservation biologist who supervised the survey. A red-breasted flycatcher, a migratory bird from Eastern Europe and Central Asia, was spotted near the Golur waterbody, he added.