Andhra Pradesh: Serbian winged visitors find the going tough in Telikunche bird sanctuary

SRIKAKULAM: Negligence by officials and frequent cyclones are taking a heavy toll on the Telikunche bird sanctuary that houses migratory birds. Like every year, the winged visitors—open billed storks—have landed in the tiny village of Telikunche in Ichapuram mandal but their numbers have come down drastically.
Over the years, cyclones such as Titli and Phailin have uprooted hundreds of trees in the region and the migratory birds have lost their nesting place in the village.The number of birds has come down by around 30% compared to previous years. “Presently, the birds are depending on haystacks, houses and farm fields for nesting. But poisonous insects pose a threat to them,” locals said.
Birds stay in the village surroundings for almost six months from June to November-December every year. This year, they arrived late from Siberia. Migratory birds nest in and around the village, mostly in private places, that are often trees in the backyards of the houses of villagers, but many say government officials are not helping out by constructing sheds or nesting facilities.
Villagers of Telikunche believe that the birds bring good fortune and treat them as their children by protecting the eggs of the birds. “They used to nest on the trees in the backyards of our houses. Villagers never harmed the birds. In fact, they believe that these birds would bring rain. Villagers get tense if the birds do not land on time,” Ramu, a local, said.
Every year, the villagers warn others that if anybody tries to hurt or harm the birds, they would be tonsured. They even protect the birds from poachers.
“Each bird lays two to six eggs and hatches them. They leave the place in December or January along with their newborn. These birds have been coming to the village for more than a century as we came to know from our grandfathers. We are trying to protect them. The authorities should also make few arrangements for the nesting of the birds,” village sarpanch P Rajasekhar Reddy said.