PTI
Kendrapara | 15 June, 2016
Ornithologists have undertaken
synchronised head count of Baya weaver bird, an endangered winged species.
These pint-sized birds are
conferred protected status under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Over the
years, these winged species are disappearing fast and its sighting has become
rare.
The census operation is being
undertaken under the stewardship of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) with
assistance of local organisations operating in the field of birds'
conservation.
"Ornithologists and bird
watchers are engaged in the census work, which is presently going on in
Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur and Jajpur districts. We have so far enumerated over
500 baya weaver birds," said an ornithologist, Pramod Dhal, who is
actively engaged the head count operation.
The weaver birds prefer to nest
on large and tall trees like coconut and palm. As there has been decimation of
these trees due to cyclonic windstorm and urbanisation, the habitation
corridors of baya birds have gone down.
The birds used to throng the
countryside marked by tall trees. The increasing use of pesticides in
agricultural has caused these grain-feeding birds perish as they fail to
withstand toxicity, Dhal said.
"The head count work would
continue for a week. We are hopeful of spotting and counting a sizeable numbers
of these birds. The reserved forest areas, wildlife sanctuaries and national
parks have been excluded from the census work as forest department has their
own mechanism of counting winter and local migrant birds from time to
time," he said.
Baya bird is one of the common
birds in the state which have inspired many folk songs. These birds are found
mainly in the paddy-cultivating areas. Their seasonal movements are largely
determined by paddy and cereal cultivation which provides nesting materials and
food. They also eat insects.
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