To deal with bird flu and more importantly, to study the behaviour of the migratory birds from trans-Siberian zones that flock the wetlands of Uttarakhand’s Terai landscape in a huge number during this period every year, the Terai-east forest division is planning to equip these avian guests with transmitters.
A geo-positioning system- assisted device, with the help of a code the transmitter connected with the satellite, helps conduct a study on these birds for a period up to two years. And more so, after a certain period, the transmitter gets separated from the bird automatically. There is thus no harm to the bird, maintain the wildlife experts.
Since a large number of birds from different regions, including Siberia and the Himalayas, visits here and leaves after a certain period on a routine basis every year their behaviour spawns inquisitivenessamong the bird watchers here. Such a study may also help detect diseases like bird flu, added the avian experts. The plan to study the behaviour of the migratory birds is presently at the initial stage, said NC Pant, SDO, the Terai- east forest division. The migratory birds have started reaching different parts of the Terai segment. We are thus working on the matter for some time to know more about these birds, he added.
Interestingly, visit by the birds from Siberia and Himalayan region to the Terai landscape of Uttarakhand is rather a routine annual sojourn. Even the increasing human interference into wildlife has not deterred these Siberian guests from visiting this region of Uttarakhand mainly because of its rich natural resources, flora and fauna and wetlands.
These water bodies are not just drinking water sources but they also provide necessary food to them.Thus with availability of food and water in abundance, local rivers like Ramganga, Koshi, Begul, Boar and dams like Tumria, Haripura Jalasay, Nanakmatta, Sharda (barrage) and other artificial water bodies can be seen nowadays flocked with migratory as well as local bird species.
Among a variety of migratory birds which mostly visit the places here include Rudy Shell Duck, Common Pochard, Malard, Bar Headed Goose , Tufted Duck, Green Sand Piper, to name a few, as the forest officials concerned maintain. Ideally, post-monsoon season, declining trends in atmospheric temperature marks the beginning of the migration of these bird species from the sub-zero trans-Himalayan /Siberian zones to the plains of Uttarakhand.However, as soon as the atmospheric temperatures go up from March/ April onwards these migratory birds return to their sub-zero Siberian habitats.