Bengaluru: It is that time of the year again. Thousands of migratory birds from across the world are flocking to the Ranganathittu bird sanctuary, which is situated on an island of Cauvery river near Srirangapatna. The main draw for these birds, which come from as far away as Siberia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, is the presence of aquatic insects, the islets that protect them from predators and copious water.
A Eurasian Marsh Harrier at Rangananthittu Bird Sanctuary. (Photo: Sajees Radhakrishna)
“These conditions are good for the young ones of these birds. The birds have been coming here for hundreds of years,” said Harsha, a birdwatcher. Open-billed stork, painted stork, pitta, egret, cormorant are some of the commonly spotted birds here. Sharath B., a wildlife expert based in Bengaluru, said, “The conducive habitat based on the migratory pattern is the best way to describe the trend.”
The bird sanctuary that is spread across 214 hectares has six main islands and six islets which are the main breeding grounds for a variety of local and migratory birds. The area around the sanctuary has lush green paddy fields. The birds, however, don’t eat paddy seeds, but feed on insects in the field. The migratory birds choose the habitat from November till December, the experts said. Clearing the common misconception about migratory birds, J.N. Prasad, a bird expert, said that these birds do not come to breed here, but to escape the harsh climatic conditions in the Central Asian Flyway.
Mr Vijay Nishanth, the tree doctor who is credited with rescuing birds across the city, said that not only the sanctuary, but the entire village of Ranganathittu considers birds as part of their family. “The sanctuary is conducive for birds as it receives considerable rainfall. The river that never dries attracts birds from across the globe,” he said.
