Birdwatchers of the city heaved a sigh of relief when the shy and elusive Indian Grey Hornbill was documented again in the trees of the Sub-Collector’s office over the weekend.
The birdwatchers were disappointed and alarmed when several huge trees in the compound of the Victoria Jubilee Museum, now renamed as the Bapu Museum, were cut to make place for a new block a couple of years ago. The trees on the premises were a regular haunt of the Grey Hornbill.
The frequent visitors to cities with canopies are seen as ecological indicators. The female seals itself in a hole in a tree to hatch eggs.
The bird is easy to identify by the casque on the upper mandible (part of beak) looking like a second beak instead of a ridge or helmet in other Hornbills. The casque looks more a small freak beak on the main beak.
While a greenfield capital is being developed in Amaravati where there are no trees, the green canopy in Vijayawada, the biggest urban conglomeration within the Capital Area Development Authority (APCRDA) limits, is under threat.
Ecological indicators
The Swaraj Maidan (earlier known as PWD grounds) in the heart of the city is surrounded by several government offices and the bungalows of senior officials. These offices and bungalows with large compounds have several large and ancient trees which are all under the threat of being felled to make place for buildings.
Other ecological indicators such as the house sparrow and the common crow have already disappeared from the core of city despite the presence of the greenery and canopy in some parts.
The Rosy Starlings that migrate in thousands every winter from eastern Europe also use the trees around the Swaraj Maidan, particularly those in the compound of the Police Commissioner’s bungalow. Birdwatchers and citizens alike enjoy the ‘murmurations’ (flying in formation) of the starlings at dusk and dawn. The cutting down of trees will affect adversely the visits of these winged wonders, birdwatchers said.
The habitat of the Black-Crowned Night Heron, a social bird that nests in colonies far away from water bodies in which they forage, is also under threat. Several Night Herons reside in a colony on trees in the compound of the All India Radio Station and quarters again near the Swaraj Maidan and the municipal stadium.
“There is a need for the local authorities to sensitise the public on the existence of these avian VIPs,” said A. Ramakrishna, a city-based birdwatcher.