Sanmar has established a bird migration study centre at Vedaranyam. The Sanmar- Nahar BNHS Bird Migration Study Centre at Point Calimere was inaugurated on 22 February 2009. The event also commemorated the 125th year celebrations of Bombay Natural History Society organised at Point Calimere Ramsar Site. This centre is being established by Sanmar jointly with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) to facilitate the research on the migratory fl ock. Working in conjunction with the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India, steps will be taken for the protection of the habitats and encourage the nesting of different species of migratory birds that visit the swamplands annually.
S B Prabhakar Rao, Corporate Affairs
The saltpans and the surrounding marshlands provide a good breeding ground for rare species of birds like flamingoes, terns,
pelicans, painted stork,teals, pigeons, plovers, sandpipers, whistling ducks, gulls, egrets, etc. Natural and artifi cially created habitats for these winged visitors are being maintained and research is being done on the feeding grounds and feeding patterns of various species to ensure their annual nesting here.
Dr P L Gautam, Chairman, National Biodiversity Authority, R Sundararajan, IFS, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (WL) and Chief Wildlife Warden, Govt. of Tamil Nadu, and Dr S Balachandran, Assistant Director, BNHS.
When the monsoons are lack lustre, the fresh-water reservoirs (natural and man-made) are affected reducing the availability of food for the birds.
Around 17.26 sq km area fringed with saline swamps and evergreen forests along the Palk Straits is a sanctuary established for the preservation of the blackbuck in 1967.
Extensive saline swamps and good weather coupled with abundant rains have converted the region into a nesting ground for migratory birds.
These winged visitors from Europe, Middle East, Russia and northern India come here annually between October and March. Researchers are excited about the increase in the nesters this year. 95,619 birds of about
Left to right : P L Gautham, J C Denial, S B Prabhakar Rao, Dr K Venkatraman,V Thirunavukkarasu & Uhamraj Nahar.
88 species of migratory birds arrived here this season. The number of visitors last year was 84,000 birds.
According to the District Forest Officer and Wildlife Warden, the strength of the visitors depend on climatic conditions and abundance of food. S Balachandran, an ornithologist with Bombay Natural History Society
said that the number of flamingoes were at 10,000, almost double that of last year.Forest offi cials have chalked out two projects to develop and maintain the sanctuary.The Sanmar-Nahar BNHS Bird Migration Study Centre will conduct studies to preserve this region’s bio-diversity.
“This Centre is like a dream come true for all of us, as it is the only centre in the country dedicated to bird migration studies. We are confi dent that the centre will go a long way in ensuring proper training to researchers and ornithologists from all parts of the country. We acknowledge that this Study Centre would not have been possible without the generous support given by you.(Chemplast Sanmar)”
Asad R.Rahmani, Director, Bombay Natural
History Society