Kannur: A rare species of migratory bird, Pied Wheatear, was recently spotted at Madayipara in Kannur by ophthalmologist and ornithologist Dr. Jayan Thomas. This is the first time there was a record of its sighting from Kannur, confirmed officials from the Zoological Survey of India, Kozhikode.
This migratory bird was about the same size of a house sparrow and it was insectivorous, said Dr Jayan. “Male and female birds have a different appearance. The male is boldly marked with black and white and the female is browner with a sandy buff appearance. Wheatears are distinctive birds highly adapted to live in open country, including harsh desert environments. Of the various Wheatears, some are confusingly similar in appearance,” he added.
After spotting the bird, he consulted ornithologists C. Sashikumar and J. Praveen, who told him that the bird belonged to the Pied Wheatear category. French ornithologist Alban Guillaumet said that the Pied Wheatear was not completely unexpected in Kannur.
According to experts, the bird must have come from East China or Mongolia and on its way to East Africa stopped over at Madayipara to rest and replenish fat reserves. However, their regularity of visits has not been recorded. There was a sighting recorded from Kasargod last year.
Officials from the Zoological Survey of India said that visits of desert wheatears and Isabelline Wheatear were recorded earlier and that of Pied Wheatear was rare. They added that as of now, the population of this bird in the world was stable in the absence of evidence of any decline or substantial threats to its habitat.
Excessive construction activities have posed a threat to the ecological balance of Madayipara recently and the sightings are said to be special, say experts. They also felt that the place should be protected from further human destruction by elevating it into a community reserve.
