Uncontrolled growth of water hyacinth in S. Periyapalayam irrigation tank can very well act as a deterrent to the migratory birds which are expected to arrive here in large numbers over the coming days unless the plant species is removed on a war footing.
It is usually towards August end and initial days of September, the air around the tank near here starts getting filled with the chirping of migratory birds that come from as far as Europe, Central Asia and North America.
Many thousands of migratory birds belonging to nearly 125 species like Bar-headed geese, Garganey, Northern Pintails, Marsh Sandpiper and Northern Shovelors come to the tank area every year because of conducive flora and fauna. They stay here for a few months as there would be food shortage in their native tracts because of the winter spells.
K. Ravindran, a bird watcher at the tank for a decade and also president of Nature Society of Tirupur, expressed annoyance over the growth of water hyacinth for the first time.
“Majority of the water-spread area of the tank is now occupied by the plant leaving little water exposed. The problem is that most of the migratory birds which come to the area like to wade through water and grabs micro-organisms from inside.
“The presence of water hyacinth will be an obstruction to such birds and it could end up moving to other localities,” he said.