Scarce information on heronries in Kochi is worrying bird enthusiasts. A recent attempt to collect information on heronries in the district failed to generate any significant result.

Scarce information on heronries in Kochi is worrying bird enthusiasts.
A recent attempt to collect information on heronries in the district failed to generate any significant result.
Heronries are communal nesting sites of large wetland birds. Though the district had large extents of wetlands, there was no significant information on nesting sites, said Vishnupriyan Kartha, secretary of the Cochin Natural History Society, which organised the drive.
The Social Forestry wing of the Forest Department has attempted to prepare a database on heronries across the State with the participation of the public.
The recent attempt to record heronries with public participation was not encouraging as information on only three sites could be obtained. The information on the sites had to be verified, said Mr. Kartha.
Historical data on known heronries in Kerala indicated that the nesting sites were recorded in Kochi in Mangalavanam. The protection of heronries is significant for the conservation and management of these species, an integral part of the agricultural ecosystem. Kochi lacked comprehensive background information on the nesting sites and attempts were being made to generate data and chart out a conservation strategy for the birds and their ecosystem, said Mr. Kartha.
Information on heronries in the district could be passed on to the society through phone 9446437410 or email cochinnaturalhistorysociety
@gmail.com.
Birders believe that the changes in the habitat of birds might be one reason for the disappearance of heronries. Large-scale development activities leading to the reclamation of wetlands and cutting of giant trees might have taken its toll on the bird population, an ornithologist said.
Though there was some scanty information on heronries, there were no recent reports from the district, ornithologists said.
Bird populations are reported to be vanishing from the sites in Kochi where they were once found in large numbers.
Ambalamedu is one such site where over 50,000 migratory birds were recorded by legendary birdwatcher Neelakandan during the 80s. He had also penned a research note on the site and the birds that assembled there. These days only a few thousands could be sighted at the site during the migratory season, said bird enthusiast.