KOZHIKODE: Palakkad has the highest number of heronries and nests, 44 and 2,586 respectively, according to a census conducted jointly under the Green Partners programme by the social forestry, forests and wildlife departments and the birdwatchers of Kerala in 2014.
Palakkad is followed by Malappuram (25/1826) and Kannur (24/1302) among the 11 districts except Ernakulam, Idukki and Kollam.
R. Roshnath, wild life researcher, who was part of the programme, said the number of heronries and water birds remained stable compared to 2013.
“A total of 10,380 nests belonging to 14 species of water birds from 157 sites were counted. More than 70 per cent of the heronries were situated in government land,” he said.
Unlike in other states, water birds are mostly located on trees along road side in crowded areas in Kerala. Fourteen species of water birds were identified with Little Cormorant and Indian Pond-Heron constituting up to 59 per cent.
The three rarest breeds of Kerala have been found at a single location only — Painted Stork at Kumarakom heronry, Grey Heron at Koduvally near Thalassery and Eastern Cattle Egret at Panamaram.
Oriental Darter and Black-headed Ibis, classified as near — threatened by the Intern-ational Union for conservation of nature and natural resources, was found to breed at 20 sites with 761 nests and at two sites with 202 nests respectively. As many as 650 trees were used by the birds for nesting, with rain tree Samanea saman the most preferred one.
The survey warns that cutting of roadside trees is a major threat to the water birds. “The department is ready to lay sheets below the nests to prevent the dro-pping of waste of water birds,” said Mr K.P. Udaya-kumar, assistant conservator of forest, social forestry, Kozhikode.
