Chennai: While boys of his age are busy planning their next smart phone purchase or a bike race with their friends, K. Deva (18) take a different route on which he is prepared to go the extra mile in search of winged wonders. The teenager from a working class neighbourhood of Korukkupet in North Chennai has carved a niche for himself among hardy bird watchers with his nose to spot the rarest species of migratory birds.
To his credit Deva has now earned the encouragement of senior bird watchers and ornithologists who are associated with the E-bird India, an online pan India web portal that profiles the migratory and terrestrial birds covering the length and breadth of the country.
The endangered great knot, red knot and bar — tailed godwit are his latest sightings from Annamalaicheri, a part of Pulicat bird sanctuary located in Tiruvallur district. “Deva’s preliminary bird watching days started with barren lands of Korrukupet and coastal patches of Kasimedu fishing harbour sighting sea gulls.
Devoted to his passion, he can now identify at least 300 migratory birds that visit the ecological hotspots of Tamil Nadu and neighboring Andhra,” says jubilant bird watcher KVRK Thirunaranan, who mentors Deva in his early morning trips that start by 4 am.
“We are excited to see youngsters and teenagers coming forward to the field of bird watching. These beginners are full of passion and have the rugged speed to explore more birds when compared to seasoned bird watchers. I remember this boy Deva during a field visit to Pallikaranai and he is amazing”, says veteran birder P Jeganathan, coordinator, Ebird India.
To encourage bird watchers and to promote conservation, the portal validates the sightings of these birders. To ensure that high standards are maintained during validation, scientists and ornithologists are also roped in for the not-for-profit exercise and in return we get excited to see these young people’s love for the nature and bird life, adds Jeganathan.
“It’s a nice feeling to be in the midst of birds and I admire some of my friends in North Chennai who are now learning mimicry to imitate a few migratory birds like a lyre bird”, says Deva who is to join a college soon.
