Kochi: City lass Alagananda is spot-on about birds

KOCHI: Alagananda C R’s enthusiasm for bird-watching began early in childhood. Her interest, she says was spiked when she started observing the birds that frequented her house and surroundings which was located close to a forest in Thrissur. Today, she is an environmentalist who is also creating awareness on the migratory birds as well as protecting the environment. She will host ‘Bird Watching in Kerala’ in the city this month.

The 21-year-old explains that the fascination increases every time you learn more about the bird, its habitats and behaviour.“I began observing common birds like sparrows whose numbers are slowly declining. Then I moved on to watch migratory birds like storks. It was interesting to study its’ features. Whenever I spot a bird, I started taking notes such as the bird’s appearance, location, time, season, habitat and time of the day when the birds are most active,” she said.

She hopes to make it a full-time profession one day. “I want to spread the same joy that I feel while exploring the history and habitat of these birds. I am focusing more on students because they need to be made aware of the rich flora and fauna around us which they often tend to ignore,” said Alagananda. The more one studies birds, the more learns about nature too, she said. Alagananda says summer is the perfect time for watching birds as flowers are on the bloom catapulting birds to arrive in large numbers,The bird watcher has spotted more than 200 birds including migratory and common varieties. Through the bird watching event, Alagananda will help participants learn about birds found in a particular season.