The Okhla Bird Sanctuary has welcomed with open arms the rare Streaked Weaver Birds again, after a gap of over a decade. Over a dozen have been spotted in the sanctuary so far, with their peculiar nests in marshy wetlands and tall grasses.
Ecologists say the number of weaver birds is dwindling faster than that of sparrows and are elated with the sighting of 13 Streaked Weaver birds in a city exposed to constant urbanisation.
“This season, the number of Streaked Weaver birds in Delhi has turned out to be the maximum ever since 2003. Until a decade ago, these birds would come in large flocks and were mostly found in patches along the Yamuna,” said TK Roy, a noted environmentalist.
Okhla’s swamps and tall grasses are conducive for weaver birds’ habitation, he said, but population pressure on land led to their decline. “last year, four Streaked Weaver Birds were sighted. Unfortunately, not a single bird was found in 2010 and 2011. It was because there was a lot of disturbance in this place,” Roy added.
“On one side, there was rapid public invasion and on the other, the number of cattle also increased. Cattle are a kind of a repellent to this species of bird,” he explained.
The Streaked Weaver, ‘Teliya Baya’ in Hindi, is a summer migrant from south and South-East Asia. It nests in small colonies on the Typha plant just above the water surface. It crafts its nest over tall coarse grasslands or swampy reed beds.
These birds have a heavily streaked breast while the males also possess a crown, which is golden yellow in colour. “The striking feature of this species of weaver bird is that it finds a home in messy and moist areas, say near or over marshlands and swamps. Their nests are often preserved for decoration purposes by people. Sheer architectural marvels, these are a lot in demand,” added Roy.
Weaver birds are famous for their nests. Of the four species — Baya Weaver, Fin’s Weaver, Black-Breasted and Streaked, the latter two are the rarest in the country.