Mounting plastic waste poses threat to bird habitat

KOCHI: Birders who undertook the Asian Waterbird Census (AWC) are alarmed by the increasing quantum of plastic found in wetland areas, which can cause serious harm to their habitat. The survey also noted a drop in number of birds.
The AWC survey held at Kadamakudy and Varapuzha, under the auspices of Cochin Natural History Society (CNHS) and Varapuzha unit of the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad, has identified 69 species of birds on Sunday.
“We found a lot of floating plastic waste in Kadamakudy. There is a lot more lying in the slush and it would be difficult to take them out. We often try to pick the plastic waste but we did not do this time as we were focused on the survey,” said CNHS secretary Vishnupriyan Kartha.
Students of Maharaja’s College and nature enthusiasts also participated in the survey.
Vishnupriyan said 3,348 birds were spotted during the count. “The drop in number of birds could be due to several reasons, including climate change and ecological changes post-flood,” Kartha said.
The AWC survey at Karumalloor and Veliyathunadu regions last week identified 51 species and counted 1,533 birds.
Main species spotted during the census were: Gargany, Black-tailed Godwi , Black-bellied Plover (Grey Plover), Indian Cormorant, Oriental Darter, Brown-headed Gull, Lesser Whistling Duck, Pacific Golden Plover, Lesser Sand Plover and Little Cormorants.
Highest number of a single species spotted was Lesser Whistling Duck (1,044), followed by Gargany (600), Little Cormorant (358) and Pacific Golden Plover (230).
Kartha said they also found a drop in bird numbers but it cannot be compared to last year as the areas covered and dates are slightly different. However, the survey, which is held annually from 1987 onwards, has helped in assessing the environmental health of wetlands which are a vital source of livelihood, water security and acts as floodplains during the rains.
AWC held in January 2018 counted 6,295 birds of 99 species.
The survey had recorded four near-threatened (NT) species in International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list — Oriental Darter, Black-headed Ibis, Black-tailed Godwit and Spot-billed Pelican.
The team will survey Puthuvype beach and Kandakkadavu near Thoppumpady next week. “We don’t have large areas such as Paravur or Thrissur to survey as wetlands have diminished over the years due to pressure on land,” Kartha said.