MIGRATION OF BIRDS (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Env and Eco)

Context: The forest department of Tamil Nadu is preparing to augment waterbodies to attract more birds as the migratory season at Point Calimere Wildlife and Bird Sanctuary is set to peak.

• Some of the migratory birds spotted include Little Stint, Lesser Sand Plover, Marsh Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper, Common Greenshank, Common Redshank, Wood Sandpiper, Eurasian Curlew, Painted Stork and Oriental Pratincole.

Point Calimere Wildlife Sanctuary

• Established: In 1967 and is situated in the state of Tamil Nadu.
• Key points: It houses the famous bird sanctuary of Vedaranyam and the Talaignayar forests.

o It is flanked by the Bay of Bengal in the east and Palk Strait in the south.

o It primarily focuses on the protection and conservation of the black antelopes, an endangered and endemic species that are found in this region. 

o It is designated as a Ramsar site.

• Flora: It has mangroves, tropical evergreen forests, and grassland ecosystems.
• Fauna: Wild boar, macaque, black buck, chital, Great flamingo, Painted Stork, Little Stint,seagull,l and Brown-headed gull are normally found in the sanctuary.

Central Asian Flyway

• The Central Asian Flyway (CAF) covers a large continental area of Eurasia between the Arctic and Indian Oceans and the associated island chains. The Flyway comprises several important migration routes of waterbirds.