Migratory birds flock to premises of private school

ANANTAPUR: Migratory birds consisting of Painted Storks and several other species are in search of safe locations for a quiet stay, nesting and breeding.

A private high school and its premises on the outskirts of Anantapur have been hosting the migratory birds season after season. The Radha School of Learning (RSL), unlike other schools, has a wide space dotted with trees. A canal passes by. This spot has become a major attraction to the Siberian birds.

Normally, the migratory birds from Siberia flock to the tiny village of Veerapuram in Chilamathur mandal, Satya Sai district, and treat it as a safe haven for the past many decades. This, even as the area has poor facilities. These birds formed nests on three trees in the village for breeding purposes.

 So much so, there are more than three times the number of migrated painted storks than the human population of the village.

 This was the first time painted storks found the school premises as a safe zone. A large number of migratory birds took shelter in and around the school.

 The Padameru canal has water round the year, as also plenty of fish to meet the requirements of the migratory birds. In addition to Painted Storks and birds of several other rare species are turning to this spot, much to the enthusiasm of nature lovers.

 Normally, the Painted Storks migrate to these areas from a distance of over 6,000 km, for breeding and nesting on the trees. They depend on fish available in the nearby tanks or other water bodies.

 The inhabitants of Veerapuram village in Chilamathur mandal treat migratory birds as their ‘daughters’ who have ‘come (home) for delivery’ as these would form nests on the trees and lay eggs. Soon after the little newborns grow, the entire flock flies back to Siberia -- after a stay of about five months.

 “We teach our students to love nature and never harm any species on school premises. Many birds like pigeons normally mingle with our children. The Painted Storks along with several other rare species also treat our school premises as their home,” the school’s correspondent, Sridevi, observed.

 The birds create no disturbance here. They go in search of food. The nearby canal has a lot of fish. Moreover, the birds appear to choose this location because they feel safe here,” observed principal Jayachandra.

 Jayachandra, enthusiastic about nature photography, has captured pictures of the migratory birds on his camera and these are now viral. 

While the migratory birds preferred to stay at Veerapuram and nearby areas for breeding, they had to fly for more than 40km towards Karnataka to get their fish feed.

Ornithologists say that, normally, a small group of birds arrives first and conducts a survey over the feasibility and safety for a stay. Later, birds arrive in large numbers to their selected destinations. The forest department must protect these birds from hunters, they say.