Coimbatore: Bird watchers have spotted a rare bird - Great crested Grebe at Ukkulaam lake near Semmedu .
Vijaykumar Krishnaamurthy, bird enthusiast said he frequents Ukkulam for bird watching and was surprised to spot the bird. Bird experts said this not only being the first spotting of the bird in the district but also for the state of Tamil Nadu.
The lake had been de-silted recently and the water level was high. So there were not many waders and other related species were also only a few in numbers. "When I was walking towards the centre of the lake from one end, I saw a rather different looking bird taking flight and circling the lake before landing on the other end of the lake," he said.
"During its flight, I noticed that it had a white underbelly and peculiar looking head and bill. This made me confirm that it is not any of the common ducks (Spot-billed ducks) or waders (sandpipers). Luckily the bird came close to me and I took a photo and send it to senior scientists at SACON and fellow birders. I also referred books," he added.
The Great Crested Grebe migrates to north India during winter. However, this bird doesn't come down to south India, especially Tamil Nadu. "Senior principal scientist, Pramod confirmed that it was indeed the Great Crested Grebe and it was a record for south Indian peninsula," said Vijaykumar.
The bird enthusiasts said the bird may have lost its way or had separated from its flock to flow down here as they usually migrate in flocks and settle down in north India.tnn
