All 3,000 residents of Dhanamandal village under Badachana block are very fond of thousands of birds that have formed nests in their locality and stay there from June to October. They are taking every care of the avian species and ensure that they are safe and sound.
“Earlier, their eggs would be stolen and children would stone the birds for fun. Even, locals ate some of them. Now, the villagers are protecting them and seeing them as assets,” said Pratap Routray, a farmer of Dhanamandal.
“We are protecting them because we have realised that the birds add colour to our hectic lives and make our village a rare place. Every year we form a bird protection committee, which takes care of the birds,” he added.
If anybody knowingly or unknowingly kills a bird or damages the nests or eggs, we summon him and impose a fine on him,” joined another villager Manoj Jena.
Officials are full of praise for the villagers. About 15,000 birds have landed on the six banyan and other trees in the village for nesting this season,” said a forest officer of Bairi forest range, adding the birds start their nesting activities in the first week of July.
“I recently visited the village. I was happy to see the care and affection the villagers are showering on the birds,” said the forest officer.
According to him, thousands of egrets, herons, storks, cormorants, darters, spoonbills and ibises are now breeding on the trees in the village and nearby areas. Not an inch of space is available on the trees. “Any fresh bird trying to nest has to wait,” one villager said.
At the same time, the entire nesting area and even a road nearby is covered with droppings of the birds.