Green cover in Anna Nagar provides safe haven for migratory birds

Banu has started taking notes on the birds in her neighbourhood. Not just the usual, crows and pigeons, but the migratory ones.  If avian enthusiasts in Anna Nagar are to be believed, their neighbourhood has turned into a mini bird sanctuary where birds like Little Egret, Little cormorant, Night heron, Pond heron are being spotted. 

“It is only in the past couple of years that we began spotting these birds. We started noticing them post Vardah and since then they have been regular visitors,” said Banu. Shravan Krishnan, an animal activist and rescuer, said, “Restoration of the green cover post Vardah and the presence of the Red Hills Lake could be the reason these birds are choosing to nest here.” Shravan, along with his team, has been involved in clearing nestlings found dead in the area. However, not every resident is excited about the birds in the locality. 

Take for instance P Vadivelu, who has a tailoring unit on Eighth Main Road in Anna Nagar. For years, he ran his business taking refuge under a tall tree. However, this year, he had to fix a tarpaulin cover above his head because of the entire road and pavement where he has put up his unit would be covered in white, the excreta of these avian visitors. 

“They would be all over my things and the cars parked outside were the worst affected. Last week it was much worse but things are better now. Also, there were birds falling from the trees. A few residents even called the rescuers to save them,” Vadivelu said.  

KVRK Thirunaranan, founder of Nature Trust, said the presence of these birds in the area is not entirely new. “Anna Nagar is a safe haven for birds. It’s now that awareness has increased. Every year, between November and June, the migratory birds, some from as far as Siberia in Russia, other parts of Europe come here for nesting. Of the 26 and above species that come for nesting in Vedanthangal, only 13 are migratory. The birds in Anna Nagar are not uncommon,” he said. 

“The residents should be happy about spotting them as they only add to the beauty of the neighbourhood. Instead of calling it a menace, we must learn to co-exist,” he said.