Endangered Migrant Birds

Migratory Bird Watching

Whilst enthusiasts are preparing for the opening of the shooting season in Britain on the "Glorious Twelfth" of August,2017,rare varieties of migratory birds are expected to be seen on the moors in Scotland and the Wetlands in England,along with the  usual game birds of grouse and partridge. 

Golden plover,curlew,spoon-billed sandpiper and other waders make their annual 10,000 miles round trip between their Russian Arctic homeland to the wetlands in  UK. Portland Bill is a migration magnet not just for the birds but also for bird watchers with telescope and binoculars.

Birds migrate to improve their chances of survival. Migratory birds fly these long distances to find the best ecological conditions and habitats. The two primary reasons being in search of food in the very cold winter and nesting locations.They respond to weather, geography, food sources, day length and other factors.

The secrets of their amazing navigational skills,is beyond comprehension. Many birds travelling the same course year after year,with little deviation, say bird watchers. Perhaps, their senses are acute. We know and there is evidence of  the sense of smell,which plays a role,at least for homing pigeons.

Hazards range from storms to starvation. Weather,food supplies and the growing threat made from wind turbines and man made structures enroute, are some contributory factors for risks in this migration. 

Bird Hot spots

Bird hot spots are often located along peninsulas where migratory birds concentrate as they follow the land and pause before touching over water. 

In Sri Lanka,we are told that there are a few spots, in places like Vidathaltivu, between Pooneryn and Mannar in the North, where they have spotted migrant flamingoes feeding, flying in from all over the northern hemisphere during  early September 2016. 

Sri Lanka has always been a home for a diversity of "avian fauna," comprising many varieties of bird life. I remember when I was a young lad that wading migrant birds were an annual sight in our wetlands and habitats in the Jaffna lagoon,near Ariyalai. 

Beside the bird watchers are the migrant bird hunters.It was a pastme for many. To the culinary tables of many living in the Jaffna peninsula, snipe,teal, plover and duck, were brought in on bicycles,after a dawn shoot. They were yet another hazard for these migratory waders. Whether this is a continuing pursuit is anybody's guess.

Environmentalists and Conservationists

To counter game hunting in England,we have the conservationists, including the RSPB, who have been a lobby in Parliament. Shooting not only migratory birds, but also  grouse, partridge, in the Scottish and Yorkshire moors is hardly encouraged, but is allowed during the season between  August and December. The concern is not only for the grouse but the hen harriers and the vast number of endangered migratory birds in the wetlands of U.K.

The Environmentalists on the other hand maintain that the RSPB has spent over a £1 billion in funds over the past decade," telling farmers and gamekeepers how to run nature." The verification reports produced by the Universities of Newcastle and Durham this year state the grouse moors have served as a bird sanctuary and must be preserved. But there is no count of the numbers of birds lost, as the RSPB has since 2012 failed to publish an audit of birds. The issue is that the cull of  foxes which RSPB hates, has saved 43 of Britain's endangered bird species.

Migrant birds,endangered species and game birds

Migration of birds is a fascinating study. Whether it is breeding, passage, wintering or local endangered species, bird life is under threat.

In Britain, human population is growing over housing,farming and recreational needs, and whether we like it or not,the space for all types of birds is eroded.

In Sri Lanka. migratory birds are a necessity to maintain, if not preserve the survival of its tourist industry.

Victor Cherubim