Birds of Baranti

Welcome to the Wonderful World of Birds

Baranti: If you have entered Baranti, you are probably interested in birds. our interest may be limited to trying to put a name to the bird you casually see in the garden, forest or in the Lake. Or you maybe are, or are about to be, one of the growing number of people who watch birds 
regularly. Would you like to become involved in an enjoyable and challenging outdoor pastime? It is inexpensive and can be done anywhere and at anytime. If all this sounds good to you, then welcome to birdwatching, or "birding" as it is often called. Getting stated is easy, and once started, it provides a lifetime of joy and fascination.

One of the best places to start birdwatching is Baranti Hill area or Baranti Lake area. You will see various type of Birds. You will soon want to see more and different birds. But identifying them can be difficult at first, so here are a few tips to help you along: 

Bird Migration
Migration is the mechanism behind the seasonal appearance and disappearance of some species of birds, mammals, fish and insects. In India and South Asia, out of over 2000 species and sub-species, about 350 are extralimital migrants. Generally, in birds, migration is seasonal, and in the Indian subcontinent the majority of migratory birds are winter migrants. In India, the physiology and mechanics of migratory bird flight are not very well known. The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) has been working since 1926 to rectify this shortcoming.

The first natural historian to write about migration as an observable fact was Aristotle. Though Herodotus described the migration of Cranes from north of the Black Sea to Central Africa 100 years before. Aristotle was an astute observer and as well as recording the times of departure of some species from Greece, and listing Pelicans, Turtle Doves, Swallows, Quail, Swans and Geese correctly as migrants he accurately observed that all migrating birds fatten themselves up before migrating.

In 1251 Matthew Paris writing in Hertfordshire recorded what is the first reference in England of the migration of Crossbills. By the 1600s good evidence had been supplied by the French ornithologist Pierre Belan to refute many claims of hibernation by the simple act of keeping the supposedly hibernating birds in a large aviary supplied with all the facilities it was claimed they needed to hibernate. None ever did.

It is important to remember that until the 19th century optical equipment was extremely rare, bird identification guides non-existent, travel to other countries difficult and expensive and bird ringing of course had not been invented. Moreover, in 1946 the Nuttalls Poorwill (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii) was found to be a bird that actually does hibernate, it does so in the Colorado Desert, California where it lives.

Scientific investigation of bird migration began in 1802 when birds were tagged with metal leg bands. It was not until this century when large numbers of bands with printed numbers and letters became available that this method really began to deliver results. The numbering of the rings is controlled by a national body in most countries and the rings have a contact address on them. These national bodies co-operate with each other in exchanging information on banding records (either live caught or found dead) of birds ringed outside the country in which they are caught.

Little is known about how birds navigate. Experiments show that most migratory birds have a built-in sense of direction and know innately which direction they need to travel. First year Starlings in Europe kept in a covered cage and away from birds which have already migrated once or more, still move to the correct side of the cage when the time comes for them to migrate. Some birds appear to use landmarks and obviously at a height of several thousand feet they can see a considerable distance. A number of elegant experiments involving and/or displacing birds to different geographical regions have shown that many birds use the sun, at least during the day, as a cue to direction when migrating or homing.

Birds of prey, Swallows and Crows migrate by day. Thrushes, Warblers, Cuckoos and Woodpeckers migrate by night. Wildfowl migrate both day and night. Most songbirds migrate at night. There is believed to be some hormonal stimulus to migrate, resulting, at least in the spring, in the development of the gonads. Other stimuli appear to involve temperature, daylight/darkness ratios and an internal clock.

Indian Migratory Birds

Indian subcontinent plays host to a number of migratory birds in summers as well as winters. It is estimated that over hundred species of migratory birds fly to India, either in search of feeding grounds or to escape the severe winter of their native habitat. The numerous wildlife sanctuaries set up in the country serve as their temporary habitat. Bird lovers from all over the country visit these sanctuaries to get a glimpse of some of the rarest species of birds in the world. The beauty of the birds, combined with the splendor of the natural environment provides the perfect setting for a nature lover.

Usually, birds start migrating towards other areas when they perceive the tailwind to be favorable. However, once they start their migration journey, nothing can stop them, except extremely bad weather. Many birds prefer to fly at a higher altitude while migrating. This is because winds usually prevail at higher altitudes and at the same time, the cold temperature at these altitudes helps them in diffusing the body heat, which is generated by their flight muscles. The timing of the migration is usually a mixture of internal and external stimulus.

Migrating birds start on a journey when they feel that they have put on enough fat to provide them energy throughout the journey. Then, the tendency to aggregate into flocks is another determinant of the time of migration. Even after the flock, which has to fly together, has gathered, the birds keep on feeding till the weather conditions become favorable. Thus, apart from the internal clock of the birds and their flock, it is also the availability of food and the weather conditions that play a role in the determination of the time of migration

Birds generally begin migration when they have a favorable tailwind. Once started however, only very bad weather will stop them. Many birds fly high when migrating because of prevailing winds at higher altitudes and also because the cold at these altitudes helps them disperse heat being generated by their flight muscles.

Timing of migration is a mix of internal stimulus which results in a feeding binge to put on fat to survive the journey and then the tendency to aggregate into flocks. Once the pre-migration flock is gathered, the feeding continues while the birds wait for suitable weather conditions. Thus while the birds' internal clock probably releases the hormonal triggers at a fairly accurate date each year, the availability of food and the presiding weather conditions decide when the migration starts and hence when we see the first spring migrants arrive and the last autumn ones leave.

For geographical reasons, i.e. mountains, coasts and rivers, many migrating birds travel certain general flyway or routes. Migratory routes are not fixed and in some species part of the population follows one route and part another. In India, the winter migrants from central Asia and Siberia are thought to use two main flyways; one in the west along the Indus valley and the other in the north-east along the river Brahmaputra. Some migrants fly very long distances. Some arctic terns fly 15,000 km each way. Most flights occur at between 600 and 5000 ft above sea level with an average height of 1525 ft. However, mountains may mean greater heights are needed and heights over 10000 ft are not uncommon.

Migratory Birds at Baranti:

Since 80s the migrated birds are coming Baranti after completion of the Dam-Lake. These birds (most of them) stay here from middle of

December to end of March and during this time period the number are increased due to their breading season.

In 90s some local and outside people (gun man) started hunting these birds which prevented the migration and these birds were avoiding this place. Now after the campaign within local people  the awareness has been created to preserve these birds. Due to those measures the migration has been increased significantly. 

Hills and forests of Baranti is a land of various birds in all seasons throughout the year. The presence of birds is not only in dams but also in forests and Hills. Birds are observed also after dark that may varies to exclusive nocturnal birds which gets blind on sight of light. Other than regular birds, dams and forests are inhabited by 100s of Migratory Birds, those are noteworthy.