Migrating Indian pittas crashland in Chennai

CHENNAI: Bird lovers in Chennai were in for a rude shock when they recovered 27 Indian pittas that had crash-landed in houses across the city. Of the 27, two birds died, the remaining were handed over to conservationists.

K Shravan of Besant Memorial Animal Dispensary said in the past one week, they have received nearly 20 such birds.
The Indian pitta is a small passerine bird and migrates to southern India from the Central and Himalayan regions covering thousands of kilometres.Ornithologist V Santharam, member of the Madras Naturalists’ Society (MNS), said these birds fall into houses because of tiredness. "They normally migrate in the last week of September and when they fly during the rainy days, they get tired and fall," he said.
"The birds are normally found under the wild growth of a tree in the city. Nowadays, it is difficult to find trees and wild undergrowth in Chennai. These birds are chased by crows and they fall on the balconies," he said, adding the MNS members had recorded such incidents in the late 80s.
Deputy director of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), S Balachandran, said the Indian pitta come in large numbers during September and October. "They pass through Chennai to the south of Tamil Nadu and stay in the Western Ghats. Some birds fly till Sri Lanka also. The reverse migration occurs during March or April."
"There are records of people trapping these birds and selling them as pets. They often fly into window panes and fall," he said.
Santharam, who is ringing migrant birds in Kodiakkarai in Nagapattinam district, said Indian pitta is a local migrant and has not been ringed by ornithologists in the state. Bird ringing is the fixing of a numbered tag on the leg of a wild bird for individual identification.
(Residents rescuing Indian pitta can contact wildlife authorities on 044-22200335 or provide the bird with water and earthworms for a couple of days. It will fly to its destination after that.)