After five decades, Jerdan's Baza returns to Telangana

The raptor was sighted by Dr Srinivas, a bird enthusiast, in the Jinnaram area near Hyderabad, that has now become inhospitable to migratory birds due to pollution.

Now, the Andhra Pradesh wildlife authorities found the bird for the first time in the Dantepally Tank area in Pocharam wild life sanctuary in the Medak-Nizamabad border.
The Baza is a small to medium-sized raptor characterized by broad round wings, a long squarish tail, jaunty crest and forest dwelling habits. The birds feed mainly on lizards, grasshoppers, large insects, frogs and are somewhat crepuscular.

Gubbala Ramakrishna Rao, Divisional Forest Officer, Wildlife Management, Medak managed to photograph the rare bird when it landed on the branch of a tree.

In the Terai foothills

“The Baza is generally found in the Terai foothills of Himalayas, Eastern Nepal and Kaziranga reserve forest area of Assam and may have been in passing when we had a chance encounter with the bird,” Rao told Deccan Herald. He further said that its destination may have been  the Western Ghats, which is also one of the habitats of this “brown hawk”.

However, birdwatchers have yet to confirm whether the Baza had reached here for breeding or was a resident bird of this area. They feel that it could be a casual visitor and that observation for at least two consecutive years was needed to confirm its pattern of migration, if any.

Paradise for raptors

Pocharam is a paradise for raptors and around 20 raptors of different species can be found in this area throughout the year. While some members of the species come as winter visitors, some are very common, while some others are restricted to the course of the Manjira River that originates in the neighboring Maharashtra.

The species, which are also found in the Manjira sanctuary some 50 kilometres from here, include the Black-shouldered Kite, Brahminy Kite, Black Kite, Tawny Eagle, Bonelli's Eagle, Changeble Hawk Eagle, Short-toed Snake Eagle, Crested Serpent Eagle, Booted Eagle, Indian Spotted Eagle, Oriental Honey Buzzard, White-eyed Buzzard and Shikra.

Black-eared Kite and Greater Spotted Eagle are winter visitors to Manjira surroundings.