Coimbatore: Bird watchers were delighted as they sighted Black Baza, a raptor bird at Chadivayal in Coimbatore. This is believed to be the first sighting of the small sized bird on record in the Coimbatore region.
“There has been no mention in birding books on the sighting of Black Baza in Coimbatore. Nevertheless, it is also a rare bird and hardly a few bird enthusiasts could have seen it. We believe ours to be the first sighting with photographic evidence in Coimbatore region,” said R. Mohammed Saleem, President of Environment Conservation Group.
He was on a birding trip with a team of avid bird lovers, when they fortunately came across a flock of these winter migrants in the dense canopy at Chadivayal on Monday. The raptor was first spotted by bird enthusiast Zakir Hussain, but it flew in a jiffy and couldn't be identified.
“As we were delving on the traits of the newly sighted bird, another bird came over and perched on a plant in close quarters. Not to give a miss, we immediately pulled out our cameras and clicked the rare bird on knowing its identity. To our surprise, a flock of ten Black Bazas arrived at the spot,” said Saleem.
Black Baza, whose scientific name is Aviceda Leuphotes and found mostly in North-Eastern states of the country, has flown thousands of miles to reach Coimbatore. They usually feed on insects and are smaller in size, while comparing to other raptors.
The same group of bird enthusiasts has sighted the little bird, a few years ago at the Thattekad bird sanctuary in neighbouring Kerala. “These birds may take flight to their breeding spots in few two weeks with the end of the migratory season,” said Saleem.
P Pramod, principal scientist at Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology & Natural History (SACON) said that Black Baza can be seen mostly in forest areas, where there is a thick canopy.
“It may not necessarily be a first visit for the winged visitors to Coimbatore, but could be a first sighting for bird watchers, who are growing exponentially and exploring unseen places,” he said.
