With their natural
habitat shrinking, birds are attracted to open spaces like the Tiruchi airport,
say activists.
The study recorded 23
species of birds including Asian Palm Swift, Black Kite, Black-Shouldered Kite,
Oriental Skylark, Spotted owl.
An independent study by a
city college faculty member on bird activity in the international airport and
in its vicinity here has recorded 23 bird species besides butterfly species and
few mammals, amphibians and reptiles.
The ongoing study by Q.
Ashoka Chakkaravarthy, Assistant Professor of Environment Science, Department
of Foundation Courses, St. Joseph’s College, Tiruchi, with cooperation from the
airport officials is to eventually suggest scientific measures to minimize bird
hits suffered by aircrafts.
Engaging a few students,
the study, launched in December last week, at first sought to identify
distribution of birds in the airport and its vicinity by carrying out field
studies at different time intervals. In its preliminary report, it recorded 23
species of birds including Asian Palm Swift, Black Kite, Black-Shouldered Kite,
Oriental Skylark, Spotted owl, rock pigeon, house crow, Indian robin, Common
myna, Indian pond heron, Hoopoe and white throated kingfisher inside the
airport. With respect to butterflies the species recorded include Blue Pansy,
Small Grass yellow, crimson rose, common rose and Tawny coster.
Mammals such as mongoose
and rabbit, amphibians such as frogs, reptiles like snakes and insects like
dragonfly were recorded, said Ashoka Chakkaravarthy – also an ecologist.
Point count methodology
was adopted to record distribution of bird species.
Now, the study would
focus on areas of bird activities, reasons for their attraction towards the
airport side and how they become a hazard to aircraft while landing and take
off. It would soon be done by field observations, inspection of infield areas
and survey of buffer zone soon by seeking cooperation from the Airports
Authority of India and Corporation authorities. The study would deploy bird
scaring reflective ribbons, a device, in vantage areas inside the airport to
ascertain the extent to which the device would scare the birds from flying
inside the airport area thereby averting bird hits.
The study would use
organic pesticides to remove insects inside the airport so that birds do not
venture inside for foraging. In addition, other environmental management
actions and measures would be looked into during the study before coming out
with a set of recommendations to minimize such bird hits and the save the
birds.
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