Ranchi, Nov 30 (PTI) As mercury plummets across Jharkhand, winged visitors are flocking to waterbodies and attracting bird watchers with their chirping and colourful sight.
Thousands of migratory birds from different countries make their winter sojourn in Jharkhand to escape the extreme cold in their native regions.
“The winged visitors take shelter in various waterbodies such as dams, lakes, rivers and sanctuaries during winter season in Jharkhand for food and to protect themselves from extreme cold in Central Asia, Himalayan Region, Mongolia and Tibetan plateau,” Satya Prakash, Jharkhand coordinator of Asian Waterbird Census (AWC), told PTI.
Migratory birds have started flocking to Udhwa Lake Bird Sanctuary (Sahibganj), Patratu Dam (Ramgarh), Topchanchi Lake, Tilliya and Maithan Dams (Dhanbad), Kanke and Rukka Dams (Ranchi), Dimna Lake (Jamshedpur), Baska Dam (Chatra) and other waterbodies.
Udhwa sanctuary in Sahibganj has been one of the preferred places for the migratory birds.
Spread over 565 hectares, the sanctuary comprises two natural backwater lakes of the Ganga river – Pataura and Berhale – in Sahibganj district.
It is the state’s only Ramsar site and home to around 160 bird species, Sahibganj Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Prabal Garg told PTI.
From October to March, large numbers of birds arrive from Siberia, Central Asia, and Eastern Europe at the sanctuary.
The most frequent winter visitors include bar-headed geese, northern pintails, common teal, greylag geese, gadwalls, spot-billed ducks, and red-crested pochards, while purple herons, Asian openbills, little grebes, and kingfishers contribute to the sanctuary’s year-round avian diversity, he added.
The birds find the weather conditions suitable for their survival in Jharkhand, as the temperature is conducive for them, a weather official said.
Currently, Jharkhand’s minimum temperature is hovering between 8 degrees Celsius and 15 degrees Celsius, while the maximum is between 20 degrees and 27 degrees Celsius, according to the Ranchi Meteorological Centre.
Around 25,000 to 30,000 migratory birds visit the water bodies of the state every year, experts said.
However, the birds also face threats from poachers and villagers.
The forest department has asked the divisional forest officials to activate Van Suraksha Samitis (Forest protection committee), which plays a crucial role in monitoring activities in water bodies.
They have also been asked to inform forest officials immediately if they find any suspected activity, a forest official said. PTI SAN RG
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