Pulicat, Point Calimere among 4 sites in TN chosen for flamingo census

According to State Forest Department sources, Pulicat, Point Calimere, Annamalaicherry and Vedaranyam will be monitored by the foresters along with the Tiruchy-based Biodiversity Conservation Foundation on February 23 and 24.

 “The Central Asian Flyway (CAF), one among the nine flyways in the world, encompasses overlapping migration routes spread over 30 countries for different water birds linking their northernmost breeding grounds in Russia (Siberia) to the southernmost non-breeding (wintering) grounds along the Indian Ocean Territory,” said Ramasubramanian, Conservator of Forests, Thanjavur circle.

India has a strategic role in the flyway, as it provides critical stopover sites to over 90 per cent of the bird species known to use this migratory route. The study will help the Forest Department to assess the impact of climate change on birdlife, Ramasubramanian added.

When contacted, Kumaraguru, conservation scientist, Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, said the national action plan has proposed to formulate and implement a single species action plan (SSAP) for coordinated conservation of 20 priority waterbird species.

“The study of flamingos in Tamil Nadu is crucial for the national and state plans. Both greater and lesser flamingos have been included as priority species in the NAP. An all India count will be useful in creating and assessing the current population trend of both the species which in turn will help in preparing the SSAP,” he opined.

The enumeration work will also boost local conservation initiatives as it is initiated through local people.

The BNHS has invited government institutions, Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN) members, birdwatchers, NGOs, ornithologists, researchers, academicians and naturalists in TN to participate in the nation-wide flamingo count.

According to the society, more than 50 sites from Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have been listed for the census.