<p>Bar-headed geese usually frequent Mysore and Bangalore regions in winter. But this is the first time they have been spotted here.<br /><br />D V Girish of Bhadra Forest Life Conservation Trust said he had been keeping a track of the migratory birds visiting Chikmagalur. The bar-headed geese fly at a height of 30,000 feet and land here, crossing the Himalayas. Mongolia is a land-locked country continguous to China and Russia.<br /><br />G Girija Shankar of Karnataka State Forest Life Board said, according to records these birds were spotted in 1960 at Vishnusamudra in Kadur taluk and also near Ayyanakere.<br /><br />Apart from the bar-headed geese, migratory birds of various species, including the Stilts, black-headed Buntings, yellow wagtails from the Himalayas, Sandpipers from middle-Asia, Open Bill Stork and Ibis from North India, visit Ambale Doddakere.<br /><br />They arrive from extreme cold regions and migrate to other regions during winter in search of suitable places for procreation too. They are farmers’ best friends as they help in controlling insects and pests infesting crops. During their stay, the farmers ensure that they are not hunted down. The bar-headed geese usually feed on various kinds of insects, pests and fish. Their poop is useful as a good manure, according to bird watcher Amit.<br /><br />“In the last two years, the number of birds visiting the tanks of Chikmagalur taluk have considerably reduced. Fluctuation in rainfall and temperature might be one of the reasons for the decrease in their numbers,” says Girish.</p>
<p>Bar-headed geese usually frequent Mysore and Bangalore regions in winter. But this is the first time they have been spotted here.<br /><br />D V Girish of Bhadra Forest Life Conservation Trust said he had been keeping a track of the migratory birds visiting Chikmagalur. The bar-headed geese fly at a height of 30,000 feet and land here, crossing the Himalayas. Mongolia is a land-locked country continguous to China and Russia.<br /><br />G Girija Shankar of Karnataka State Forest Life Board said, according to records these birds were spotted in 1960 at Vishnusamudra in Kadur taluk and also near Ayyanakere.<br /><br />Apart from the bar-headed geese, migratory birds of various species, including the Stilts, black-headed Buntings, yellow wagtails from the Himalayas, Sandpipers from middle-Asia, Open Bill Stork and Ibis from North India, visit Ambale Doddakere.<br /><br />They arrive from extreme cold regions and migrate to other regions during winter in search of suitable places for procreation too. They are farmers’ best friends as they help in controlling insects and pests infesting crops. During their stay, the farmers ensure that they are not hunted down. The bar-headed geese usually feed on various kinds of insects, pests and fish. Their poop is useful as a good manure, according to bird watcher Amit.<br /><br />“In the last two years, the number of birds visiting the tanks of Chikmagalur taluk have considerably reduced. Fluctuation in rainfall and temperature might be one of the reasons for the decrease in their numbers,” says Girish.</p>
