Habitat Specialist Flamingos in Hospet & Almatti
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LAKE 2014: Conference on Conservation and Sustainable Management of Wetland Ecosystems in Western Ghats Date: 13th -15th November 2014 Symposium Web: http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy HABITAT SPECIALIST FLAMINGOS IN HOSPET & ALMATTI: A TIME TO BEGIN “ANNUAL NATURE PILGRIMAGE FAIR” Narayan Ramappa Birasal Associate Professor & Head, Zoology Department, KLE Society’s G H College, Haveri – 581 110 Email ID: [email protected] Mobile: 94491 22732 ABSTRACT Habitat specialists - Greater Flamingos Hampi or Almatti is the question of (Phoenicopterus roseus) having majestic look, birdwatchers. (a) Indian Bird Fair (IBA) is 1.5 metre tall, pinkish birds from the Rann of organized since 1997 and it is initiated by Kutch (Gujarat state) migrate to the south in Tourism and Wildlife Society of India. (b) In winter. They are known to congregate at Pulicat order to make more and more citizens aware of lake (Tamil Nadu state) in winter. They migrate the natural treasure and to seek public opinion so to Gujarat in the summer to breed. On their way as to conserve the Important Bird Area (IBA), back, they spend some time in large reservoirs Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has such as the backwaters of Tungabhadra dam been organizing Flamingo festival since 2000. near Hospet (Bellary district) and Almatti dam (c) Andhra Pradesh government passed orders in (Bijapur district) in Karnataka state. Since 5 2012 including the annual Flamingo festival in years, Greater Flamingos have been flocking in the state tourism calendar and commenced large numbers at Hospet and Almatti. India is a celebrating the same since January 2013 at land of rich cultural heritage. Numerous festivals Pulicat lake bird sanctuary in Nellore district are celebrated throughout the country with great (AP state). If such conservative efforts are on by pomp and glory. Like any other Indian state, NGOs and a few state governments in India, Karnataka has a rich history EWRG-IIScwith several Government of Karnataka can also initiate festivals (utsavs). Crores of rupees sanctioned by similar festival at Hospet or Almatti. An attempt government is spent on these festivals. If such is made in this paper to give details of need for festivals are financially supported by the state annual nature pilgrimage fair in Karnataka government, why not Flamingo festival at state. INTRODUCTION With increasing human-driven threats and of the threatened migratory birds include decreasing natural habitats, over 12.4 per cent of Siberian Crane, Greater Spotted Eagle, Lesser the total bird species worldwide are threatened. Flamingo, Sociable Lapwing, Spotted Only 19 per cent of all bird species are Greenshank, Spoonbill, Sandpiper, Imperial migratory and among them 11 per cent are Eagle, and Wood Snipe. threatened (Anon, 2010). Out of more than Avifauna are important for the ecosystem as 1,200 species of birds reported from India till they play various roles as scavengers, date, nearly 350 species are migratory including pollinators, predators of insect pest, bio- very large number of forest birds. In India some indicators of different kind of environment like Sahyadri Conservation Series 47, ETR 87 84 LAKE 2014: Conference on Conservation and Sustainable Management of Wetland Ecosystems in Western Ghats Date: 13th -15th November 2014 Symposium Web: http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy urbanization and industrialization. They are very awareness about domestic tourism during the sensitive indicators of pollution problems and 11th Five Year Plan. The continuation of the function as early warning system (Jeevan et al, scheme is recommended during the 12th Five 2013). Besides, the globally threatened bird Year Plan, though focus of promotion may shift species, even some common migratory species to cover the new potential areas. (Choudhary et such as Bar-headed Goose, White-eyed Pochard, al 2013). Table 1 gives the list of important Black Stork and White Stork are also decreasing festivals observed in Karnataka state and the in number. All these large migratory birds amount spent by government on such events. require wetlands. With a large number of migratory birds in India on the threatened list it FLAMINGOS: Flamingos are habitat was crucial to take immediate steps to protect specialists and hence destruction or alteration of them. India falls on the South-Asia migratory habitat is considered a serious threat to their route and being the largest country in the region, population (Tere and Parasharya, 2011). The for some migratory species India is very Greater Flamingo is a seasonal migrant seen important during their winter sojourn. India's largely in winter at Pulikat lake and the numbers role is crucial in protecting migratory birds and counted were 8,000 in 2005, 15,000 in 2006 and wetlands. We need to celebrate the wonderful 13,000 in 2007 (Kannan et al 2008). Greater phenomenon of bird migration and to highlight Flamingos in India breed primarily in the Rann threats faced by most migratory birds, which are of Kutch in Gujarat. They visit other areas such crucial indicators of environmental conditions as Sambhar Lake (in Rajasthan), Sewri-Mahul and can have far-reaching impact on humans. (Mumbai) and Bhigwan (Pune). 20,000 Activities like the annual Flamingo festival have flamingos flocked to the brackish water at also been creating awareness about migratory Mumbai’s Sewri-Mahul mudflats in 2014, after birds (Rajagopalan and Yajaman, 2013). having flown all the way from Gujarat. The birds that breed in Kutch (Gujarat) migrate to FESTIVALS IN KARNATAKA STATE: Mumbai every year to escape the winter. This Karnataka has a rich history EWRG-IIScwith several mudflat area is rich in algae, insect larvae and festivals observed. Characteristically regional diatoms which the flamingos love to feed on variations are observed as affected by historical, (Kateshiya, 2013; Madhumitha, 2014). Kutch agro-climatic and modern influences (Inamdar desert sanctuary is the largest and the only and Chimmad, 2005). The tourism is a social breeding ground of Greater flamingos in the and economic phenomena which has become a entire Indian subcontinent. Due to the presence fast growing global industry. The tourist of flamingo breeding areas, this sanctuary was attraction of Karnataka includes natural scenery, identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by wild life sanctuaries, rivers, waterfalls, green the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) mountains, traditional art, typical fairs and and Bird Life International (Desai 2012). festivals. (Wodeyar 2007). With a vision to Flamingos are seen in large numbers since 2010 preserve, promote and propagate the language, at Almatti (Rozindar 2014). Greater Flamingos culture and heritage of Karnataka in India and breed at Rann of Kutch (Gujarat state) and abroad, the government of Karnataka is migrate to the south in winter. They congregate spending huge money on various festivals. It is at Pulicat lake (Tamil Nadu state) in winter. suggested that Domestic Promotion and Flamingos migrate to Gujarat in the summer to Publicity including Hospitality (DPPH) scheme breed. On their way back, they spend some time has been able to fulfill its goals of creating in large reservoirs such as the backwaters of TB Sahyadri Conservation Series 47, ETR 87 85 LAKE 2014: Conference on Conservation and Sustainable Management of Wetland Ecosystems in Western Ghats Date: 13th -15th November 2014 Symposium Web: http://ces.iisc.ernet.in/energy dam and Almatti dam. Since 2000, Greater 378 square kilometres. Height of the dam is 49.5 Flamingos have been flocking in large numbers meters Almatti Dam is a project on the Krishna at Hospet (Anon, 2014a, b). Best place to see in River in North Karnataka which was completed Hampi vicinity is backwaters of TB dam in early in July 2005. Water is released in to Narayanpur winter and later summer as stopovers for reservoir after using for power generation to passage migrants (Kottur, 2014). They are also serve the downstream irrigation needs. reported from backwaters of Krishna river near Geographically, dam is located in the Bijapur Bagalkot and also in Raichur’s Manchalapura. A district, but large areas of Bagalkot district are few lakes and tanks in North Karnataka are submerged due to filling of the reservoir. The home to flamingos which land here in January dam holds a gross water storage capacity of and spot them till the months of May-June 130 TMC at 519 meters MSL. During summer, (Manjunath, 2013). Jeevan et al, 2013 have backwaters of both Almatti and TB dam turn documented rich avifauna diversity including into a home for migratory birds. Including flamingos at Shivamogga town on the banks of flamingos, several other birds migrate in river Tunga and opined that the area still thousands. Bird lovers and ornithologists are provides some potential habitats for the drawn here and spend hours capturing their declining population of the threatened birds. movements with their cameras. According to Hence there is the need to monitor these areas, RFO, Srikant Kanadal, the birds which are with a focused study on status, distribution and protected under the wildlife protection act, have conservation and it can be achieved only through been visiting the backwaters of Almatti for the public participation. Padmavathy et al (2010) last few years (Rozindar, 2013). Flamingos were have opined that wetlands are very fragile and spotted till 2009 at Almatti, but for some reason, constitute treasure of biodiversity. The avifaunal they stopped coming. Again they have arrived in