Birds in the red as city loses green

Birds in the red as city loses green
New Indian Express

BANGALORE: A conspicuous absence in the city’s nieghbourhoods for some time now has been the petite common sparrow. Sadly, many similar small birds are on the verge of local extinction.

According to ornithologist M.B. Krishna, a very basic bird population monitoring system in the city shows that the number of small birds are dwindling due to rapid urbanisation and attendant ills like habitat degradation and pollution.

‘‘The significant decline in the last decade can be attributed mainly to large-scale construction activity. The spotted dove, a common city bird which used to live and nest in the old bungalows of Bangalore, has almost disappeared with the rise of apartment complexes.

The blue rock pigeon is following suit. Bird populations are declining as the city’s green cover is disappearing, especially home gardens and hedges,’’ Krishna said.

Ornithologists attribute this rapid and distressing occurrence primarily to poor town planning which is insensitive to bird life in the city. ‘‘Without trees and shrubs, the birds’ food supply chain has been affected. Most birds feed on insects and fruits on trees.

Metabolism in birds is very high, they need to eat constantly. Add to this the decline in tree-lined avenues, the pressure on Lalbagh and Cubbon Park is far greater now. Bird populations survive here as long as they get food and a place to nest and disappear when they do not,’’ Krishna added.

Besides, birds though small, eat and breathe quicker than larger animals. They consume soil, water and air pollutants in large doses relative to their weights. Hence pollution affects them sooner than it affects humans.

Naturally, birds like the common iora, a small and lively city bird, is on its way out. ‘‘I used to spot the bird on most of my visits to Lalbagh in the early 80s. Now I don’t see even one,’’ lamented Krishna.

Another bird preparing to take flight from Bangalore is the magpie robin, a bird the size of a bulbul which used to visit homes. Now it is spotted only at Lalbagh and Cubbon Park. The ashy wren warbler is also hurtling towards local extinction.

Water birds are no exception. Habitat alteration has had a disastrous effect. Krishna’s 15-year study on water birds in Lalbagh lake show that migratory duck and wading bird populations are also dropping rapidly. The gargami is one sad example. Migratory birds that used to flock to Lalbagh by the hundreds in the early 80s from the Steppes of Russia, China and North Asia are now irregular.

‘‘The spotbill duck, a native species is gone for 15 years now,’’ Krishna said.

‘‘Even common birds like crows and mynas are being pushed to the outskirts as they are tree and hole-nesting species and there are very few trees left in the garden city,’’ Krishna said.