A Day at the Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary
The
Interesting Story of the Painted Stork
The Villagers of Vedanthangal and their Symbiotic Relationship with the Migratory Birds
Well, today we packed up quite early in the morning for our birding destination of the day – Vedanthangal – India’s oldest water bird sanctuary.
For newbies who haven’t visited Vedanthangal yet, the ideal time for birding in Vedanthangal is from November to March, more especially to observe their nesting activity.
And where pray, is Vedanthangal?
Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary is located in Madurantakam, Chengalpattu district in Tamil Nadu. It is roughly around 80 kms from Chennai. The Sanctuary is open from 6 am to 6 pm on all days! Interestingly, the Sanctuary does not have a weekly holiday. It is generally open all seven days a week, including Sundays and public holidays!
The Times of India in a feature article, has a very interesting story behind the creation of India’s first-ever bird sanctuary.
Here goes -
Legend has it that, way back in the year 1796, a group of soldiers decided it would be fun to go hunting for some birds. Local villagers came across this scene and it didn’t sit well with them. That’s how the petition began to protect the birds from hunting and poaching. And this is how Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary was born, the first ever bird sanctuary in India.
Now, 229 years later, Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary continues to be one of the finest sanctuaries for more than 40,000 resident as well migratory birds (annually) who visit the sanctuary during their winter migration period,
says the article dated 5th July 2022.
So why is November the ideal time for their arrival?
Well, that’s because, the monsoon rains woulda filled up the Vedanthangal lake by then, which subsequently results in the lake teeming with fish, snails, and frogs – which in turn provide the much-needed high-protein diet essential for the storks to produce eggs and feed their chicks.
Yet another unique feature of the Vedanthangal lake is the presence of the famous Barringtonia (water-resistant) trees. When the lake fills up in November, these Barringtonia trees become ‘islands’ in the water.
Nesting on these submerged trees protects the eggs and chicks from land predators like cats, foxes or mongooses.
Approximately up to 40,000 birds – resident and migratory - including Painted Storks, Spot-billed Pelicans, Egrets, Darters, Cormorants, and various ducks and sandpipers, flock this lake during the November to March season.
Well, today, we had a darshan of most of the migratory and resident birds as well.
And to our sweet surprise, we also saw a cute and lovely spotted owlet pair in the sanctuary. On our way back, we saw a new sighting. Have posted that as well, in this blogpost. Do try your luck at finding out the bird species! 😊
But the icing on the cake for today is the very presence of the painted storks!
The painted storks signal the completion of the arrival season it seems!
They are ‘local migrants’ (moving within India rather than flying from Siberia like some ducks), and the painted storks have a centuries-old symbiotic relationship between wildlife and humans.
They have a long-standing tradition of not bursting firecrackers during Diwali (which usually falls in October or November). They do this to ensure the newly arrived birds are not startled or scared away during the critical start of their nesting period.
Also, the bird droppings act as a powerful natural fertiliser for the lake water. Yet another reason why, local farmers and villagers have protected these birds for centuries because the nutrient-rich water from the lake significantly increases their crop yields.
Abdul Jamil Urfi, in his 2024 book on the Painted Storks titled, The Painted Stork: Exploring Ecology and Conservation in India alludes to this Vedanthangal symbiotic connect!
At the same time, he has also highlighted two important areas of concern!
He says -
One of the most important reasons for the decline of many aquatic species of flora and fauna is the disappearance of wetlands, which are regarded as unique repositories of biodiversity and among the most productive ecosystems, crucial for many species of waterbirds. Many urban waterbirds are intimately tied to local wetlands for foraging and breeding.
Added, he has a note of caution on hybridisation of the Painted Stork as a serious conservation threat - particularly between the Painted Stork and the Milky Stork in South-East Asia. This process can lead to the infiltration of alien alleles into native gene pools, potentially leading to ‘hybrid swarms’ and the eventual collapse or extinction of the distinct species,
cautions Urfi.
Now
let’s proceed to have a glimpse into today’s lovely sightings! 😊
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| Long-tailed Shrike |
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| Common Moorhen |
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| Asian Open-billed Stork |
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| Spot-billed Pelican |
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| Painted Stork |
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| Little Egret |
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| Oriental Darter and the The black-headed ibis (also known as the Oriental white ibis) |
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| Painted Stork |
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| Painted Stork |
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| Spot-billed Pelican |
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| Spotted Owlet |
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| Spotted Owlet |
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| Oriental Darter, Little Cormorant and the Black-headed Ibis |
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| The black-headed ibis, also known as the Oriental white ibis |
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| Asian open-billed Stork |
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| Black-crowned night heron |
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| Asian Openbill or Asian Openbill Stork, and the Black-crowned Night Heron |
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| Oriental Darter |
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| Asian Openbill or Asian Openbill Stork |
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| The black-headed ibis, also known as the Oriental white ibis |
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| Eurasian Spoonbill |
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| Spot-billed Pelican |
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| Glossy Ibis |
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| Common Moorhen |
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| House Sparrow - Female |
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| House Sparrow - Female |
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| House Sparrow - Female |
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| Purple Moorhen |
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| Bronze-winged Jacana |
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| Common Myna and Black Drongo |
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| Blue-tailed bee-eater |
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