The Bird in your Backyard: Black Winged Stilt

April 27, 2014

Millions of birds migrate each year into the Western Ghats which provides a safe haven for all types of wildlife, especially birds. We have observed migratory birds flying over distances of hundreds and thousands of kilometres in order to reach the Western Ghats to rest feed and breed. Mangalore is strategically placed because of the long coast, where land meets sea and this interface provides the much needed refuelling stops for migratory birds to rest and feed, on their onward journey.

World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) was initiated in 2006 and is a global awareness-raising campaign highlighting the need for the protection of migratory birds and their habitats. On the second weekend each May, people around the world take action and organise public events such as bird festivals, education programmes and bird watching excursions to celebrate World Migratory Bird Day and to help raise awareness around a specific theme.


This brief article is to raise awareness about the presence of migratory birds in and around Mangalore.

We were very fortunate to have spotted the Black Winged Stilt at Kadri Kambala and in many water bodies in and around Mangalore city. Kindly remember that all wildlife species, especially bird species congregate in areas where there is an assured supply of food. More importantly birds have the uncanny ability to sum up their environment as hostile or friendly. In this respect we are proud to state that the people of Mangalore provide adequate protection to both migratory birds and resident birds.

A globally widespread wading Bird, The Black-winged Stilt has a wide range, including Australia, Central and South America, Africa, southern and south-eastern Asia and parts of North America and Eurasia. The Black-winged Stilt is a social species, and is usually found in small groups. Black-winged Stilts prefer freshwater and saltwater marshes, mudflats, and the shallow edges of lakes and rivers. The long, distinctive red legs of the black-winged stilt account for nearly 60 percent of its height, providing it with a feeding advantage over other waders in deeper waters.

During breeding, parental investment is high from both male and female birds, with males devoting a significant amount of time to nest building and egg incubation. This parental team appears to be monogamous ( A form of relationship in which an individual has only one partner during their lifetime or at any one time  ), as while the male stays behind to tend the nest, the foraging female remains faithful.

Conservation is all about restoring the balance between humans and the environment, because everything in nature is interconnected and interdependent.  In today's consumer driven world, the unsustainable demands on the limited natural resources of the world threaten wildlife and directly intrude on the life support system of the planet. Individuals like you and me can do a great deal to endorse conservation by choosing to be pro active rather than turning a blind eye and saying it's not my problem.

The question of underlying importance is the human interaction, wildlife interrelationships, patterns of interdependence, which ultimately determine the survival of the local ecosystem, which in turn has a direct bearing on quality of human life.


 

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By Dr Anand & Geeta Pereira
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Comment on this article

  • Romola Pereira, sakleshpur

    Tue, May 06 2014

    Very nice way of educating the world on the role of migratory birds and their habitats. Good to note that these walking stilts consider Mangalore "HOME" on their onward migration.

  • S. M Raju, Bangalore

    Tue, May 06 2014

    Dear Anand ,
    Thanks for writing a wonderful article on migratory birds and also for sending your archives on nature, it is educative and gives a great pleasure to see those photographs .

    With regards
    S M Raju IAS
    Divisional Commissioner,
    Saran Division,
    Chapra , Bihar

  • Bernadine Frank, Mangalore/Melbourne

    Mon, May 05 2014

    Thank you dear Anand and Geetha for the beautiful pictures.Looking forward to many more.

  • John Tauro, M'lore / Kwt

    Sat, May 03 2014

    Wonderful creatures! I wonder what will be their fate if there's going to be large scale deforestation and hazardous projects like Yettinahole and Niddodi are allowed to materialize.

  • Henry Mathias, Kinnigoli

    Sat, May 03 2014

    Dear Dr.Anand N Geetha Pereira, Thanks for the interesting informative article. The pictures in different poses are superb.

    With best wishes,
    Henry and Jacintha Mathias.

  • Evans Christopher Sumitra, Udupi, Dubai, New York

    Sat, May 03 2014

    I have heard of Black Winged Stilt but this the first time I am seeing in these pictures. Thank you Dr. Anand and Geeta Pereira for those wonderful pictures.

  • SOWMYA K P, NEYYATTINKARA

    Fri, May 02 2014

    The photos are superb and excellent . I am from the ARTS background not knowing much about birds. I knew few birds like sparrows, peacock, crow and eagle, etc. after reading your article and photos I am myself wondered!!!, whether birds like this is really present ? I am really thrilled and lot of interest while going through your article. Your views about birds are really heart touching. The content of the article really simple to understand and created interest in watching the birds in and around my place of dwelling and curiosity in observing the behavior of all the birds. Thank you, your information and keep writing the many more articles like this ,so that many of our non science friends like ne can learn ,understand and cherish science topics .
    Thank you for your article once again and best of luck

  • Pramod Pinto , Mangalore

    Fri, May 02 2014

    Picture perfect...Portraits the patience,hard work & passion behind the same..
    All the best

  • PRABHU H V, TRIVANDRUM

    Fri, May 02 2014

    Dear Dr. Anand sir and Mrs. Geetha N Periera
    Thank you for your beautiful photos, which clearly disseminates the deep knowledge about morphology , habitat, movements ,hunting techniques , social nature, etc the photographs are mind blowing r and marvelous.
    Thank you giving the information about the World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) and the importance ,which is the unknown information to all of us . The above information really opens sleeping eyes about conservation. Recent days people spent lakhs of rupees on birthday , marriage ceremonies ,recreation in the clubs and pubs and saving the multi disorders health in the multispecialty hospitals and which will neither yield any health benefits and nor peace, love and relations ect. Your article is a really insight me about why we can’t celebrate bird festivals just like our rituals, being birds also our friends or relative which is co existing by sharing common air, water and sunlight and human interaction by way of recreations, destroy the pests, disease causing vectors, pollination, dissemination of new seeds from one place to another, nature protector and food for higher carnivore. Your article really Bible, which teaches about the interaction about human with nature ( Birds ) which reflects Relationships and easily understandable to common man.
    The information about manogonous nature of the bird is mind-blowing , the faithful relationship of Black Winged Stilt is a wonderful , which gives the massage that we human being is to follow and learn ,faithfulness with spouse , strong relation with family , parental care about the kids which is lacking in prevailing unethical , materialistic and mechanical relationship.
    Your article clearly indicates to me that, human need to learn lot from the birds. We human being really accepting the truth that we are below the Black Winged Stilt in relationship and faithfulness in different magnitudes. We will conserve the moral value teacher like Birds (Black Winged Stilt) so that, through birds conservations and understanding the relationship and behavior, we will teach our offspring’s about faithfulness, strong relations and parental care so as to conserve and additive the fragrance of relation and love in future .
    Finally thank you for devoting your precious time in educating the common man in conservation of birds as a whole and peculating strong relation , emotion and faithfulness in the human being .

  • Duje Porob, Mangalore

    Thu, May 01 2014

    I loved the photographs....so beautiful..so enchanting. Thanks Dr. Anand & Geeta for sharing the same with Daiji World readers. Look forward to more of these from your side.

  • Anjali, Melbourne/Australia

    Wed, Apr 30 2014

    Thanks for the lovely images,
    Beautiful bird.

  • Sr. M. Prem D'Souza A.C., mangalore

    Wed, Apr 30 2014

    Thank you for getting me to look at nature in my back yard.

  • Meena Dsouza, Mumbai

    Tue, Apr 29 2014

    Lovely pics and a beautiful article Anand and Geetha.We are proud of yr achievements and research.

  • anita britto, mangalore /Auckland

    Tue, Apr 29 2014

    Amazing, informative article and the pictures are just awesome.

  • Donald D'Cruz, Bangalore

    Tue, Apr 29 2014

    Wonderful share , Thanks for the information and the great pics.
    Best wishes

  • Well wisher, Udupi

    Tue, Apr 29 2014

    Superb article Dr. Anand and Geetha, good attitude towards nature, hope every one realises that loving and protection nature is not a choice but a responsibility of everyone.

  • Ashok Frank, Mangalore / Canada

    Tue, Apr 29 2014

    Thank you Anand and Geeta for this wonderful article and awesome pictures.

  • G Fernandes, Mangalore

    Tue, Apr 29 2014

    Thank you. Very good information. Keep the articles going.

  • R.Bhandarkar, M'lore

    Mon, Apr 28 2014

    The effort you put and the pleasure you take in educating us is sincerely
    'felt'. A sincere thank you for letting us know.

  • nihal, mangalore

    Mon, Apr 28 2014

    Thank you for the detailed pictures. Yes , as citizens of Mangalore, we should do more to attract all type of birds.

  • Prashant, Pune

    Mon, Apr 28 2014

    Nice article and great pictures Anand! Always great to see your articles here.

  • Ivan Frank & Fly, Mangalore

    Mon, Apr 28 2014

    Happy to know that you were able to spot and photograph Black Winged Stilt in Mangalore. Its legs really look like stilts. It is really a treat to the eyes to watch such attractive birds.

  • Sunil Baptist, Chikmagalur

    Sun, Apr 27 2014

    Informative article

  • jimmynoronha@rediffmail.com, bellore/Lucknow

    Sun, Apr 27 2014

    Great pictures backed by greater efforts.

  • Dr Jonathan Bujak, Llondon

    Sun, Apr 27 2014

    Dear Anand and Geeta,

    Thank you very much for sending the link to your excellent article and photographs. Lexy and I are proud to be associated with you because of your work with wildlife conservation.

    The situation in Malta where they shoot thousands of migratory songbirds each spring is terrible and contrasts strongly with the situation in Mangalore: “In this respect we are proud to state that the people of Mangalore provide adequate protection to both migratory birds and resident birds”. I wish more people would follow your example.

    Best regards,

    Jonathan
    Dr Jonathan Bujak
    Fellow of the Geological Society of London

  • Ingrid, Pune/CHAKAN

    Sun, Apr 27 2014

    Super article and pictures.

    Thanks for sharing.

  • Allen Pais, Brisbane

    Sun, Apr 27 2014

    Dear Dr Anand & Geeta.

    You have yet again demonstrated very key environmental information about migratory birds ,The Black-winged Stilt us amazing & the pictures are stunning-Good work Dr Anand

  • Lance D' Costa, Mangalore / Abu Dhabi

    Sun, Apr 27 2014

    Nice snaps and informative write up by Dr. Anand & Geeta Pereira. I used to watch these migratory birds at Kadri Kambla fields during my school and college days. My ancestral house is very near to this place. Presently, in Abu Dhabi, very near to the city, we have the Eastern Mangrove lagoon where one can watch the sea gulls and other migrating birds from the Siberian and Mediterranean regions at the start of the winter season. A lot of migrating birds in order to escape from the acute chill of the frozen seas arrive at this place to enjoy comparatively warmer waters of the Arabian Gulf seeking food and comfort.


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