The migratory bird ‘willow warbler’ (Phylloscopus trochilus) has been sighted for the first time in the country in Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala.
Features
- It is one of the longest migrating small birds that breeds throughout northern and temperate Europe and the Palearctic.
- The willow warbler bird was spotted on November 14, 2020.
- The bird weighs around 10 g and it has long wing feathers that help it fly long distances. Usually seen in European and the Palearctic regions, the birds migrate to sub-Saharan Africa during early winter.
- Warblers are generally difficult to identify owing to the small size and change in plumage twice a year.
Vellayani-Punchakkari paddy fields
- The Vellayani-Punchakkari paddy fields are a birding hotspot on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram.
- It is known to harbour more than 213 species of birds that include both resident and migratory ones.
(Reference: The Hindu)