Sangareddy: Drone harassment of rare birds at Lower Manair Dam shocks birders

Sangareddy: Insensitive behaviour of some persons who captured videos and photographs of rare birds at the Lower Manair Dam in Karimnagar has shocked bird watchers. One man employed a drone, which is strictly prohibited, and chased Indian Skimmers, a Scheduled One species seen in Telangana only at LMD in small numbers, flying it alarmingly close to a flock over the dam.

According to bird watchers, only about 4,000 Indian Skimmers survive globally, of which nearly 200 have made LMD their home. The bird is listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

In a video posted on social media, the panicked birds were seen flying helter skelter as drones chased them across the dam. In another photograph, a drone was seen flying very close to an Osprey carrying a fish in its claws, repeatedly causing panic to the avian. The Osprey is also a migrant to LMD.

Bird watchers of Hyderabad Birding Pals conducted their 554th bird walk around the Pottur bridge of the Manair Dam on Sunday. They later identified that an unidentified person, who was not part of their team, had captured the videos and photographs that evening. The disturbing visuals surfaced on social media on Monday morning, sparking serious debate among birders, who began efforts to identify the culprit and file a case with the help of the Forest department.

Seasoned birder Gopalakrishna R said the birds could suffer serious injuries if struck by a drone and feared that panic could force them to abandon the habitat. Another birder, Phani Krishna Ravi, said LMD had so far been a safe refuge, adding that not only Indian Skimmers but several rare migratory birds were chased and filmed.

Another birder, Abdul Raheem, posted that he planned to visit villages around LMD to sensitise residents about reporting drones flying over the project and about unethical bird watching practices to prevent such incidents from being repeated.