Avian thrill

With the onset of winter, migratory birds have been flocking to Haridwar for roosting:

P.S. Chauhan

Come winter and the Bhimgoda Barrage, along with the wetlands of Jhilmil Jheel near Laksar, Solani river near Roorkee and Pashulok Barrage near Rishikesh, presents a splendid spectacle, with a large number of migratory fowls chirping and frisking on water. Wintry sojourn of avifauna to these wetlands from short and long distances is a regular seasonal phenomenon.

At Bheemgoda barrage a number of migratory birds arrive each year for wintering from the cold Palaearctic regions of Europe and Siberia in search of food and shelter. These birds are native to cold overseas places and travel thousands of miles to the plains of South Asia including India. Bheemgoda barrage has a crucial significance for these migratory birds due to slow flow of water here, luxuriant growth of vegetation and plenty of food in the form of fish. The barrage, situated between the Neeldhara and other tributaries of the Ganga, adjacent to the Rajaji National Park in the backdrop of the Shivalik ranges of the Himalayas, is a virtual paradise for these winged guests.

These migratory birds start thronging Bheemgoda barrage in November every year and when the warmer days arrive in March, guided by their in-built biological clock and sure sense of direction, they depart to their native habitats. A noted ornithologist and professor in the department of zoology and environmental science in the Gurukula Kangri University, Haridwar, Dinesh Bhatt, who has done extensive research work on avian biology, has spotted about 35 migratory species dotting Bheemgoda this year. Hundreds of individuals of these species of migratory and resident birds such as ruddyshelduck, gull, mallard, northern shovler, eastern merganser, grey heron, cormorants, grebe, egrets and osprey can easily be sighted at the barrage, says Prof. Bhatt.

Birds migrate for many reasons that include the need to travel to areas where food resources are at their peak abundance, the climate is milder and there is less competition. The main environmental trigger for bird migration is the changing ratio of daylight and darkness, says Dr. Vinay Sethi, senior research associate in the Gurukula Kangri University. With the onset of winter, days get shorter reducing activity hours. This triggers the almost entirely instinctive phenomenon of bird migration, Dr. Sethi adds.

Human intervention in the form of rush of traffic on the nearby Haridwar-Dehradun national highway, unregulated number of visitors and bird poaching by the locals are posing a threat to the aquatic birds at Bheemgoda Barrage. As a result of these unexpected activities migratory birds have also selected a new site near Missarpur village in Haridwar. "At present Missarpur ghat is really a wonderful spot for birdwatchers and I am delighted to see these birds at a new location,” says Vikas Saini, a bird watcher. However, the lovers of avifauna are worried due to the depleting number and the changing patterns of migration of these winged guests. Ritesh Joshi, a bird expert says that same types of efforts are required for the protection of avifauna, both local and trans-Himalayan, as are being undertaken by the central and the state governments for the conservation of wild life. The demand is also increasing to declare Bheemgoda barrage a bird sanctuary. If this ideal birding destination is declared a bird sanctuary, it will help in regulating the movements of the visitors and curb the activities of the poachers, besides enhancing the aesthetic beauty of the reservoir.