Sirabahal is a small, obscure village in Deogaon block of Balangir district wherein open billed storks, locally known as Kank, have been visiting for last ten years regularly, thanks to a safe habitat, availability of food and water and protection from the villagers.
As one enters Sirabahal village, besides the damaged school building roof, one would find large numbers of open billed storks moving in the sky and creating a cacophony.
“These birds arrive in our village by June and are harbingers of rains. There are around 2,000 birds staying in ten different species of trees like mango, tamarind, banyan, and pipal which are mostly found around our pond,” said Shankar Meher, a youth of Sirabahal.
“These birds are staying in the village as they feel them safe and their habitat not disturbed. Whenever any other villagers try to harm them, we oppose and protect the birds,” he added.
“These birds stay for six months and then fly away. We do not know from where do they come and where they go,” pointed out another villager.
These birds’ eat snail, crab and even small snakes found in paddy filed and in villages. When these birds stay atop in mango and tamarind trees, they get damaged within three to four years due to the excreta of birds, as the excreta is highly acidic.
But the banyan and pipal and semel trees don’t break off, said yet another villager, adding that a lot of mango trees have been damaged in last few years as these birds form their nests there. These open billed stork birds also do their breeding, Sushant, another village youth, interested in conservation of forest and environment, said. Steps should be taken for counting of the birds and protect their habitat, he demanded.