Hyderabad: As the migratory season comes to an end, many birds that had made the Nehru Zoological Park their holiday home are beginning to make their way back.
This, bird-watchers say is an annual affair as the zoo is the middle ground for birds to call their home. Since the zoo already has greenery coupled with the presence of a large water body, it becomes a viable nesting place. The Deccan Birders group, on Sunday, had a bird-watching trip.
“In the midst of buildings, the only green space that migratory birds or domestic birds find is in the zoo. Also, the different kinds of trees and the close proximity to Mir Alam Tank draws the birds towards the zoo. The presence of the two make the birds think of the zoo as a viable nesting place," said Shafath Ulla, a former secretary of the Deccan Birders Group.
These birds actively avoid the city and prefer the guarded and protected environs of the Nehru Zoo, he said. On their excursion on Sunday, the group saw some rare birds like the crowbilled drongo, forest wagtail, bee-eater and paradise flycatcher, to name a few.
J.V.D. Moorty president of Deccan Birders, told Deccan Chronicle: “These birds are drawn to the zoo and they have made it a part of their flyway. The zoo plays a home away from home for them, as there is no disturbance to the ecology over there. Also, since it is the end of the migration season, many birds are flying back. They go to places like China, Tibet, Europe, Mongolia, and more.”
However, this is not just a time to see the migratory birds. Courtesy of the instinct, carnivorous birds like hawks and eagles, remain close to the flyway as their prey is flying along the same path.
“The larger carnivorous birds, keep the flyway in close proximity and wait along the route for the prey to come their way,” he said.
