An extremely rare bird, Warbler, has been sighted at Perumbakkam marshland in Chennai bringing joy to bird-watchers all around.
The sighting was made during the Chennai Bird Race hosted by Madras Naturalists’ Society (MNS).
According to sources, Tree Pipit, Pallas’s Grasshopper Warbler, Slender Bill Gull and Brown Hawk Owl were the four rare species that were spotted in the city during the event.
While the Pipit was sighted in Thaiyur, near Mahabalipuram, the Warbler was noticed in Perumbakkam marshland, an extension of the Pallikaranai waterbody. The gull was seen in Adyar estuary and the owl was sighted in IIT-M. A bar-headed goose was also spotted by a team at Great Salt Lake, near Kelambakkam.
Of the 25 teams that participated in the race, one team sighted 131 varieties of birds; six other teams noticed 100 types and eight teams found more than 80 species.
When compared to last year, the number of birds spotted by a single team was higher this year. The places visited by the team included Theosophical Society, Nanmangalam forest, Thaiyur reserve forest on Old Mahabalipuram Road, Adyar estuary and Pulicat birds sanctuary. Many school and college students who participated in the race were first-timers, it is learnt.