The rich biodiversity of Tirupati, nestled in the lap of Seshachalam hills, needs no elaboration, but not many know that it is already home to five of the six varieties of bulbuls found in the State.
The Telugu States of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana are home to six varieties of the species. The red-vented bulbul, the red-whiskered bulbul, the yellow-throated bulbul, the yellow-browed bulbul and the white-browed bulbul are found in Tirupati and its surroundings.
The sixth variety, black-crested Bulbul, is found only in the northern end of the Eastern ghats in East Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts.
‘Vulnerable species’
“In fact, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the yellow-throated bulbul as a vulnerable species. It is sighted only in the rocky wooded hill sides of South India, a habitat that is very rapidly losing ground to mining and developmental pressures,” says Rajasekhar Bandi, Citizen Science Coordinator at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Tirupati.
“Tirupati is blessed to have such a species in its midst,” he points out. In fact, the Birding Club had recorded 217 species of birds around the IISER campus.
From dry and moist deciduous forests to wetlands and grasslands to urban forests, Andhra Pradesh is home to more than 460 species of birds. The Pulicat Lake and the Coringa sanctuaries are refuge for some of the important Arctic migratory birds that are declared a priority under the Arctic Migratory Birds Initiative (AMBI). The sad part is the lack of awareness among the citizens on the natural history and the state of birdlife in the landscape.
Webinar series
In order to impart knowledge on birds, their behaviour, role in ecosystems, threat, conservation challenges and bird-watching, the institute is conducting an online Telugu webinar series.
The first event was conducted with support from the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) and Duleep Matthai Nature Conservation Trust (DMNCT).
Since webinars can easily sneak into the drawing rooms and positively impact thousands of people of all social and age groups, the content is carefully designed by the Ecology and Evolution lab of the institution’s Department of Botany to meet the aspirations and knowledge levels of children as well as adults.
Details are regularly posted on the Facebook page of ‘Tirupati Citizen Science Programme’ and ‘Early Bird India’.