As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Monday, 4 March 2019

Restored, this 100-acre forest is now a sanctuary for birds


Shilpy Arora | TNN | Feb 11, 2019, 07:21 IST
Restoration of water bodies has played a key role in increase in the number of avian species Gurgaon: It’s unusual to spot the grey-headed canary-flycatcher in Delhi-NCR during this time of the year.
However, a recent sighting of the species, in a sprawling and serene forest in Bhondsi, off Sohna Road, has sent a frisson of excitement through the birding community. And it’s not just the flycatcher but several other species, too, that have lately been spotted, among them the Eastern imperial eagle and the Sarus Crane (both listed as vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature).
Meanwhile, the Pied cuckoo, White-breasted waterhen, the Indian robin, the Rufous treepie, the Shikra, kingfishers and members of the Drongo family, can all be found in the woods here. Located about 7km from Gurgaon, these 100 acres of forest land in Bhondsi were always lush green but birds only started flocking here around two years ago.
Avid birder Pankaj Gupta, for one, was pleasantly surprised to see the grey-headed canary-flycatcher. “Spotting the species in Delhi-NCR during winters is not very common as the bird generally moves towards the south when the temperature decreases. Its sighting, and that of many other resident and migratory birds, is evidence that Bhondsi has good potential to come up as a birding destination in NCR,” said Gupta, who is associated with Delhi Bird Foundation, an NGO.


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