Winged visitors attract watchers

Sunit Dhawan

A number of migratory birds nestling in agricultural fields and other wetlands in the region are attracting bird-watchers from different parts of Haryana as well as other states.

Apart from the national parks and bird sanctuaries located in Sultanpur (Gurugram) and Bhindawas (Jhajjar), the winged winter visitors can also be seen at Dighal, Baland, Myna and other villages in the Rohtak-Jhajjar belt.

Harvinder Singh Yadav, a senior Haryana Tourism official who has come to watch migratory birds at Dighal village along with his friends Dr Parikshit from Gurugram and Advocate Anoop Yadav from Rewari, says they have spotted greylag geese, bar-headed geese, greater flamingo and blue-throated birds.

“The number of migratory birds seems to have gone down as several ponds located in the villages have been filled up,” observes Yadav, who is an avid bird-watcher and also brings his son along on his trips. Dr Chetna Sharma, a bird-enthusiast, also expresses concern over the filling up of the ponds, which has destroyed the natural habitat of the birds.

“Apart from storing rainwater and preventing floods, the ponds also help in recharging groundwater. These natural water-bodies are a habitat of the birds and other creatures and should be conserved,” she asserts.

Dr Chetna points out that the government had recently stated that nearly 150 lakes in the national capital region (NCR) would be revived to prevent floods. “The policymakers and the other authorities concerned should also be sensitised about the significance of conserving the natural water-bodies like ponds which are being filled up,” she maintains.

She also laments that the practice of covering the pisciculture ponds with synthetic nets leads to the death of the innocent birds nestling in the vicinity of the ponds, while demanding a ban on the use of such nets.

Rakesh Ahlawat, who works for Nature Conservation Foundation, an NGO dedicated to the conservation of environment and wildlife and also guides and facilitates bird-watchers visiting the area, states that northern shovelers, northern pintail, tufted duck, common pochard, red-crested pochard, white-tailed lapwing, common crane, common shelduck, ruddy shelduck, moustached warbler, white wagtail, Spanish sparrow, spotted redshank, common sandpiper, great bittern and glossy ibis, etc, have also been spotted in the region during this season.