What birds existed here, about a few years back?
This is Pied King Fisher or कवड्या in Marathi. Typical behavior of Pied Kingfisher is it hovers over water, i.e. stays at one place in the air, rapidly moving its wings. The moment it spots fish in the river, it dives in and catches it.
This is a glimpse of river water.
Do you think any fish would be present in it? And even if some fish survives, how the bird will spot it, in such turbid water? Pied King fisher is no longer found on Mutha in Pune city.
Same is the fate, River Tern or नदी सूरय in Marathi.
Here is one more bird, Pheasant Tailed Jacana. In Marathi, it is known as कमलपक्षी or पाण मयूर. Paan Mayur literally means, Water Peacock.
It indeed is a beautiful bird.
Did you notice it is standing on a large leaf, like that of lotus? It walks on such leaves.
The nest it builds is a floating nest.
Have you seen any such plant in the river lately?
If it cannot build the nest, how can it survive here? That is, it has lost its habitat in the river in the city.
This one is a troubled and threatened resident of the river bed. Red Wattled Lapwing or टिटवी in Marathi.
Lapwing builds nest on the ground. Garbage in the riverbed attracts dogs and mice. Dogs attack the bird and mice devour its eggs.
Interventions in the riverbed, like metro, are further displacing this bird from its habitat.
Leave a Reply