Migration

The onset of winter is good news for bird watchers. [In these parts of the country the winter is really mild - minimum temperatures hardly ever go below 15°C]. This is the time when birds migrate from the cold north to warmer regions (like India), in search of adequate supply of food.  Although changes in temperature do not affect the birds, they require a constant supply of food to keep themselves warm and food supply becomes scarce during the icy winters in the northern parts of the world.  

 

Large scale migration takes place in the animal and water kingdom also, when  mammals and fish seasonally migrate.  But  the annual event of migration is best known and easily witnessed in case of birds.

Migrations may be classified as annual or diurnal (daily). What is witnessed in birds is the annual (or seasonal) migration, when large populations of bird species enter newer areas in search of food supply and favorable conditions to reproduce. At the end of the season, the birds return to their original areas of inhabitation, where they are termed the permanent residents.  

 

For bird lovers and naturalists, this is the best period to spot various different species. Some of the common sightings are large gatherings of bee-eaters, common swifts and swallows on telephone or electricity cables.  Other birds include the drongo, shikra and several species of harriers.  Of course, all of us await the arrival of the flamingoes and other large birds.