Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike is setting up an exclusive restaurants for birds! It does not mean that birds are part of the menu.These are restaurants that will cater exclusively for birds. They will be set at the city parks which will have a dedicated space meant for the winged members.
The Palike has taken up the project on a pilot basis at Gayatridevi park in Rajajinagar to which the Palike Commissioner Dr S Subramanya has given his consent and also made funds available. The Horticulture Department of the Palike has already begin the work at the park.
Former MLA N L Narendra Babu who took an interest in the idea said that Rajajinagar and the surrounding areas have hosted various species of birds over the years.
Alarming decline
“ Ornithologist Dr Subramanya who has lived in Rajajinagar for 30 years has done a thorough survey of birds’ species. According to him the number of species from the 1980s to 2006 has come down from 125 to a mere 25 types. We needed to address the issue immediately”, he said. To attract ‘clients’, these hotels will have food trays and bath trays made of coconut leaves and trees preferred by them will also be planted.  The Palike has plans to set up birds’ restaurants (birds’ corners)in at least one park in each ward.
Deputy Conservator of Forests, S Shekhar said saplings of nectar yielding bushes - Tubular Hibiscus (Kolave Dasavala), East Indians Crew tree (Karurigida), Fire flame bush; butterfly attracting bushes - Ivory wood (Kodmurki), Star Cluster, Indian Caper, Ornamental Lantana; Fruit Yielding trees - Neem (Bevu), Peepul (Aralimara), Ficus, Singapore Cherry, Jamaican Cherry, Mulberry; Nectar yielding trees - Red silk cotton (Buruga), Flame of forest (Muthuga), Indian Cork tree (Aakasha Mallige) will be planted in parks. “After the project is implemented in Gayatridevi Park in Rajajinagar we will follow it in other parks as well. With just Rs 20,000 needed to set up one birds’ corner, it is not very expensive”, he said.
No man’s land
The Palike has also formed a committee involving ornithologists to have the project implemented well.
One of the members of the committee is bio-diversity expert Harish Bhat, who is also member of the Palike’s Bio-diversity Management Committee.
He  has suggested earmarking a certain portion of parks in the city as no man’s land and name it as birds’ corner. “Availability of water fruit yielding trees will definitely help increasing birds’ population”, he said.