News
Watch out for exhausted feathered migrants in your home gardens
View(s):By Malaka Rodrigo
‘Tis the season when our feathered winter visitors arrive in Sri Lanka, and ornithologists have urged the public to keep a lookout for them.
October is usually the month when the majority of migratory birds arrive. However, some of them are exhausted after their long flight.
The Indian Pitta (Pitta brachyura), known as Avichchiyain Sinhala, is a colourful migrant commonly found exhausted in home gardens during this period. In the last few weeks, a number of sightings of exhausted Indian Pitta were recorded, from Colombo and its suburbs.
The poor bird who didn't make it: Indian Pitta found in Colombo Port. Pic by Megha Attanayake
One fell dead after flying straight into a glass door in a building in Colombo Port. “The bird was flying at a high speed and died after a few minutes of the impact,” Megha Attanayake, who found the bird, said.
In another incident, an exhausted Indian Pitta who was found in a home garden in Colombo 03 was handed over to the Wild Animal Rescue Centre in Attidiya, which is managed by the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC). Sadly, attempts to save it failed, said veterinary surgeon Dr.Suhada Jayawardana.
Late October to early November is the time the Indian Pitta arrives here. Being a stocky bird, it can get exhausted by the continuous flight and can be found in home gardens, particularly in areas like Colombo, said Dr.Jayawardana. “Such a bird should be protected from dogs, cats, rats, crows, shikras, etc. Keep them in a dark, quiet, and warm place,” he said.
If it is too weak to fly, try giving it small amounts of low-concentrated glucose saline with Vitamin C if they are conscious, Dr. Jayawadana advised. If the bird is able to fly, release it as soon as possible in a safe environment, ornithologists urge.
The Attidiya rescue centre also received a Malayan Bittern (Gorsachius melanolophus) found in Colombo Port. This is another bird commonly found exhausted in home gardens, Dr.Jayawardana told the Sunday Times.
Meanwhile, bird lovers have reported sightings of rare migrants. Serious birdwatchers make it a point to observe birds, especially during the migratory period.
“We were at Mannar at the peak of the migration and observed many Booted eagles and a common buzzard flying from India to Sri Lanka,” Moditha Hiranya Kodikara Arachchi, an ardent birdwatcher, said. The team observed birds including the blue-throated flycatcher, Indian Pitta, orange-headed thrush, Indian Paradise Flycatcher, Indian Blue Robin, and Green Warbler. A Dunlin was also spotted in Vankalai, Mr.Kodikara Arachchi said.
About 2500 species of the 10,000 population of birds migrate due to reasons including climate change, the availability of food, and spending time in two different countries. Nearly half of the birds out of a total of around 500 bird species recorded in Sri Lanka are migratory. They start arriving in late August and stay in Sri Lanka until about March-April the following year, when they head back to their country’s of origin for breeding purposes.
The Indian Pitta arrives here late October to early November. Pic by Mohan Hathnapitiya
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