Rare bird spotted after 60 Years
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NEW DELHI: A bird endemic to the Himalayan foothills and Western Ghats was spotted at Aravalli Biodiversity Park near Vasant Kunjrecently. According to scientists at the park, Indian Pitta, a small and colourful bird which is mainly seen in closed-canopy forests, was spotted in Delhi after 60 years.
Its sighting was last reported by ornithologist Usha Ganguli in her book-A Guide to the Birds of Delhi. “The sighting is special because it was seen in the mining pits which we have converted in to moist forests. We have experimented by planting evergreen species in these ravaged pits of Aravalis. It was a wasteland earlier. The bird found the kind of atmosphere it requires here,” said scientist in charge, M Shah Hussain.
The bird is about 9-10 inches in size and is called ‘Navaratna’ in Hindi because of its vibrant colours. A team at the biodiversity park is compiling information about several other rare species of birds which have only been seen at the park. A rare butterfly, Striped Blue Crow, was also seen for the first time inside the park.
