Bird banding by BNHS to track journey route of winged visitors
In an effort to track the migratory routes of birds in the Sinhagad fort forest near here, the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) carried out the first banding session in the region, tagging about 75 winged creatures this week.
Witnessed by a large number of environment activists and nature enthusiasts, the BNHS team caught birds belonging to 25 species in the nets put up in the Sinhgad valley which included the Asian Paradise-Flycatcher, Leaf Warbler, and Grey Wagtail.
Elaborating on the BNHS banding session-cum-training workshop for bird lovers in Pune region, Sujit Naravade, researcher, told PTI that during the excercise aimed at creating wild life awareness, the team led by S Balchandran weighed the birds, noting down their measurements of wings, head, torso, beak and tail before releasing them into the azure skies.
Since not much information is currently available on the routes they take, the tracking of journeys of migratory birds is expected to provide important clues for planning of protected areas for their habitat.
The birds that were banded by BNHS, the nodal agency for bird ringing in the country, comprised six to seven species of migratory birds which frequent the Indian sub continent flying their way from Urasia, Russia, Siberia and Middle East as they cross the eastern Himalayas, Naravade said.
With regard to the Sinhagad valley, where around 130 bird species have been sighted, he said the loss of habitat was a major threat to the winged population as the fort region is being treated as a picnic spot by revellers whose growing numbers have led to mushrooming of hotels and other commercial activities.
"There is an urgent need to reduce this disturbance to the birds in the valley and use of plastic by tourists resulting in ecological and environmental degradation of the region which needs preservation measures," Naravade pointed out.
The tourist cars were being allowed to go to top of the fort to the detriment of bird population, he added. The data on ringed birds collected through recapture and subsequent release or its recovery as dead bird go a long way in helping ornithologists to study their life and movement pattern.
