Why is Parandur Lake near Chennai making many heads turn?
Posted on: 25/Mar/2022 9:33:10 AM
More than 2500 common pochards visited Parandur Lake in the district of Kancheepuram last month. What�s special was that it was the first time so many ducks were recorded in TN.
It is noteworthy that some common pochards or Aythya ferina from countries like Latvia, Poland, Ukraine etc have migrated to south India in the winter season by travelling a distance of 7000km. The common pochard was also seen in Punjab, MP and in Rajasthan etc. This was according to the Indian Migration Bird Atlas. The Nature Trust founder Mr. K.V.R.K. Thirunaranan mentioned that in the second week of February 2022 a team of bird watchers witnessed these birds at Parandur Lake. Every day, the team members visited this lake near Chennai to record the birds that come to the lake. As many as 13 flocks each having atleast 200 ducts were recorded by the team.
Mr. Thirunaranam later explained about how few tufted dicks or Aythya Fuligula have come to the lake. Despite the migratory season still there, most of the ducks have left water bodies present in and around Chennai by last week itself. In a few wetlands, even now there are few Garganey duck species found and they come from Central Asia covering thousands of kilometres. Truth is that the water levels are dipping now and waders would arrive. In the lake at Pallikaranai in Chennai about 150 flamingos were witnessed. He concluded that it was the first time in about a year these large birds had come to the marshland.
