Haryal - Yellow footed Green pigeon
Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 11:44 pm
My grandfather had tales on seeing flocks of these haryals in Narowal Pakistan before 47. i dont recall ever seeing one in Punjab like house sparrow another common bird headed for extinction. Hopefully members could contribute on sightings etc
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-footed_Green_Pigeon
Some pictures
http://indianhomemaker.wordpress.com/tag/hariyal/
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes ... state-bird
Hariyal, green with envy
Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN Jul 2, 2011, 07.41pm IST
Birds don't know boundaries, it's the humans who set them. Does the beautiful yellow toed green pigeon, popularly known as hariyal, know it is the state bird of Maharashtra? Although the controversy over the hariyal being stripped of the state bird status to forest owlet has been put to rest, bird-watchers debate whether there is a need to raise such issues which may threaten both the species.
Amid the debate, TOI went hunting for the commonly found hariyal at its hot spots in the city but couldn't sight one in the past four days. Bird watchers say it is an alarming sign and the specie may be on the decline, but a section of bird experts say the hariyal forage in flocks and is only seen in the early mornings basking in the sun on the top of fruit-bearing trees.
Bird-watchers are overjoyed with the state government decision but feel retaining hariyal as the state bird is not enough and called for varied steps to increase its numbers.
"It's a good move. Declaring endemic forest owlet as the state bird would have led to influx of people in its pockets, with bird watching becoming a popular hobby. Ecologically also it would have been a bad move. I feel that even any controversy on the issue generates publicity threatening the birds," says Dr Tarique Sani, a regular bird watcher and expert.
Dr Sani admits that poaching is the biggest threat to hariyals but doesn't agree that the birds are on decline. He says sightings in monsoon are rare.
Ashish Tiple, an avid bird watcher and assistant professor with zoology department at Vidyabharti College, Selu, says retaining hariyal's status is a good development.
One of the arguments made against the green pigeon was that it's commonly found not only in Maharashtra but also entire India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. "I feel this logic isn't strong. Magpie robin is the national bird of Bangladesh, but is widely found in Maharashtra," Tiple argues.
On the hariyal's poor sightings in the city, Tiple says hariyal is a shy bird. It migrates locally but is mostly focused in Central Indian region. It is found in Ramtek, Pench, Melghat and Amravati areas. In the city, it is seen on big banyan and pipal trees at Telengkhedi, Ambazari, Gorewada, Seminary Hills, Maharajbagh and VNIT.
Not many know about its breeding. Hariyal lays eggs in the month of January. They hatch after 21-25 days. During this period the male hariyal takes care of the food and is always near the nests. The female also never leaves the nest and comes out for sunning from 7 to 8am. After two months, usually in March, the chicks start moving out.
Raju Kasambe, project head of the important birds area programme (IBAP) at Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), says it needs a bird's-eye view to sight hariyal, which hides itself in the greenery.
This genus contains 23 species, remarkable for their green colouration, which comes from a carotenoid pigment in their diet. Green pigeons have diets of various fruit, nuts and seeds and dwell in trees and occupy a variety of wooded habitats. These birds rarely come on the ground like other pigeons.
Although birders don't know when hariyal was declared a state bird or why it was chosen, the controversy has led to a strong feeling that now steps should be taken to conserve the bird.
City birder Tarun Balpande says retaining hariyal as a state bird is a positive move. However, it is facing threat from poachers belonging to the Pardhi community. The bird is hunted for meat and sold for Rs 100 a pair. Besides, it is also exported to Nepal as an exotic bird. The state bird should be protected by the state government and BNHS also needs take initiatives.
On poor sightings, Balpande says the bird may be on decline, but sightings are still there in rural areas where there are plenty of banyan and pipal trees. "Two months ago, I sighted a flock of 30 green pigeons in Paradgaon, 30km from Nagpur, and 15 birds in VNIT campus," he says.
Among the other threats to green pigeon include excessive use of pesticides, destruction of fruit-bearing trees in road widening and rampant construction activity in the city. "All this has led to habitat destruction," says naturalist Kundan Hate who has written an information book in Marathi on birds specifically for the forest workers.
Hate adds declaring any specie as state animal or bird doesn't help in its protection. It needs specific measures. "Take for example, the endangered sarus crane," he says. "The bird is endangered in Maharashtra, but is widespread in Uttar Pradesh. It is also the state bird of UP. This means that a bird which is beautiful and commonly found is the state bird of any state."
KYC OF GREEN PIGEON
BREEDING HABITS: The hariyal lays eggs in January, which hatch after 21-25 days. During this period the male takes care of the food and remains near the nest. The female also never leaves and comes out for sunning from 7 to 8am. In March, the chicks start moving out
SPOT THEM: The hariyal forage in flocks. They can be seen in the early mornings basking in the sun on top of fruit-bearing trees. Sightings in monsoon are rare. Unlike other pigeons, they rarely come on the ground
COLOUR SOURCE: The hariyal gets its colour from a carotenoid pigment in their diet which usually is various fruit, nuts and seeds.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow-footed_Green_Pigeon
Some pictures
http://indianhomemaker.wordpress.com/tag/hariyal/
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes ... state-bird
Hariyal, green with envy
Vijay Pinjarkar, TNN Jul 2, 2011, 07.41pm IST
Birds don't know boundaries, it's the humans who set them. Does the beautiful yellow toed green pigeon, popularly known as hariyal, know it is the state bird of Maharashtra? Although the controversy over the hariyal being stripped of the state bird status to forest owlet has been put to rest, bird-watchers debate whether there is a need to raise such issues which may threaten both the species.
Amid the debate, TOI went hunting for the commonly found hariyal at its hot spots in the city but couldn't sight one in the past four days. Bird watchers say it is an alarming sign and the specie may be on the decline, but a section of bird experts say the hariyal forage in flocks and is only seen in the early mornings basking in the sun on the top of fruit-bearing trees.
Bird-watchers are overjoyed with the state government decision but feel retaining hariyal as the state bird is not enough and called for varied steps to increase its numbers.
"It's a good move. Declaring endemic forest owlet as the state bird would have led to influx of people in its pockets, with bird watching becoming a popular hobby. Ecologically also it would have been a bad move. I feel that even any controversy on the issue generates publicity threatening the birds," says Dr Tarique Sani, a regular bird watcher and expert.
Dr Sani admits that poaching is the biggest threat to hariyals but doesn't agree that the birds are on decline. He says sightings in monsoon are rare.
Ashish Tiple, an avid bird watcher and assistant professor with zoology department at Vidyabharti College, Selu, says retaining hariyal's status is a good development.
One of the arguments made against the green pigeon was that it's commonly found not only in Maharashtra but also entire India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. "I feel this logic isn't strong. Magpie robin is the national bird of Bangladesh, but is widely found in Maharashtra," Tiple argues.
On the hariyal's poor sightings in the city, Tiple says hariyal is a shy bird. It migrates locally but is mostly focused in Central Indian region. It is found in Ramtek, Pench, Melghat and Amravati areas. In the city, it is seen on big banyan and pipal trees at Telengkhedi, Ambazari, Gorewada, Seminary Hills, Maharajbagh and VNIT.
Not many know about its breeding. Hariyal lays eggs in the month of January. They hatch after 21-25 days. During this period the male hariyal takes care of the food and is always near the nests. The female also never leaves the nest and comes out for sunning from 7 to 8am. After two months, usually in March, the chicks start moving out.
Raju Kasambe, project head of the important birds area programme (IBAP) at Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), says it needs a bird's-eye view to sight hariyal, which hides itself in the greenery.
This genus contains 23 species, remarkable for their green colouration, which comes from a carotenoid pigment in their diet. Green pigeons have diets of various fruit, nuts and seeds and dwell in trees and occupy a variety of wooded habitats. These birds rarely come on the ground like other pigeons.
Although birders don't know when hariyal was declared a state bird or why it was chosen, the controversy has led to a strong feeling that now steps should be taken to conserve the bird.
City birder Tarun Balpande says retaining hariyal as a state bird is a positive move. However, it is facing threat from poachers belonging to the Pardhi community. The bird is hunted for meat and sold for Rs 100 a pair. Besides, it is also exported to Nepal as an exotic bird. The state bird should be protected by the state government and BNHS also needs take initiatives.
On poor sightings, Balpande says the bird may be on decline, but sightings are still there in rural areas where there are plenty of banyan and pipal trees. "Two months ago, I sighted a flock of 30 green pigeons in Paradgaon, 30km from Nagpur, and 15 birds in VNIT campus," he says.
Among the other threats to green pigeon include excessive use of pesticides, destruction of fruit-bearing trees in road widening and rampant construction activity in the city. "All this has led to habitat destruction," says naturalist Kundan Hate who has written an information book in Marathi on birds specifically for the forest workers.
Hate adds declaring any specie as state animal or bird doesn't help in its protection. It needs specific measures. "Take for example, the endangered sarus crane," he says. "The bird is endangered in Maharashtra, but is widespread in Uttar Pradesh. It is also the state bird of UP. This means that a bird which is beautiful and commonly found is the state bird of any state."
KYC OF GREEN PIGEON
BREEDING HABITS: The hariyal lays eggs in January, which hatch after 21-25 days. During this period the male takes care of the food and remains near the nest. The female also never leaves and comes out for sunning from 7 to 8am. In March, the chicks start moving out
SPOT THEM: The hariyal forage in flocks. They can be seen in the early mornings basking in the sun on top of fruit-bearing trees. Sightings in monsoon are rare. Unlike other pigeons, they rarely come on the ground
COLOUR SOURCE: The hariyal gets its colour from a carotenoid pigment in their diet which usually is various fruit, nuts and seeds.