Date:13/09/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/09/13/stories/2007091353360400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Darters, pelicans arrive at Uppalapadu

Ramesh Susarla

-Photo: K.R. Deepak

Winged guests: Black-winged Ibis and white Ibis at the Uppalapadu bird sanctuary near Guntur.

UPPALAPADU (GUNTUR Dt): Darters, black-winged birds from the pelican family, along with pelicans have begun arriving in large numbers at the village tank that acts as a breeding colony for the migratory birds.

Bang on time, these white large-winged birds showed up on thorny bushes in the middle of the five-acre sweet water tank. On Wednesday, 10 of them were spotted and counted by bird watchers and researchers. Same time last week there were only two in the entire colony giving some anxious moments to bird lovers that pelicans might abandon this for Kolleru in West Godavari after the aquaculture activity was stalled there.

Their worries were dispelled following the arrival of the darters also, which, according to them, is the sign of the arrival of a large number of pelicans, as these birds play the policing role for their community.

“These pelicans spread out across South India where temperatures are higher, compared to the North, providing the right climatic conditions for breeding and rearing chicks,” says Mallikarjuna Rao, a bird enthusiast.

Uppalapadu residents, who take the utmost care in protecting these winged visitors, point out that they shoo away any external enemy trying to meddle with the chicks while the parents are away finding food.

Changeover time

Like the colour of leaves which changes in the monsoon season, the second fortnight of September is the changeover time. For open-bill storks and Ibis occupying 99 per cent of the sanctuary area, it is time to fly away with their chicks to their natural habitat spread all over the country in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and some from African nations.

The same place is taken over by the large-winged pelicans that need free space, while the lower half of the trees are occupied by the painted storks (which are yet to arrive) replacing the Ibis, which are currently occupying this space.

Grey and black-winged open bill storks mainly survive on soft-bodies molas (a kind of fish) and worms, moving in large groups to as far as five to six km. from the colony to fetch food.

People have begun coming to this bird sanctuary to witness the changeover.