Unseen Passage: Forest Reserves for Birds

Birds are natural wonders of beauty. Flying is the prerogative solely of birds. The entire universe is their home. Their mellifluous calls, queenly dance, gossamer quill and artistic sculpture make them special. India has quite a few forest reserves which are home to some rarely seen and endangered species of birds.

Located about 24km from the Chennai City Centre, Namnangalam is a massive forest sprawling across 2400 hectares, of which 320 is reserved. It is a bird watcher’s paradise and houses about 85 species of birds including the red-wattled lapwing, the white breasted kingfisher, Indian eagle owl and several others. It is also said to be home to rare territorial orchids.

Amarambalam Reserve Forest is one of the largest reserve forests of Kerala. Situated in the Western Ghats, it covers a height ranging from 40m-2500m above sea level and sees heavy rainfall making for a thick forest cover. This forest reserve in India sees a variety of birds, some endemic to the region, and some endangered and near threatened species as well. It is also home to the Lion Tailed Macaque and the Nilgiri Tahr. The forest continues from the Silent Valley National Park and forms a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

Kumarakom bird sanctuary also known as Vembanad bird sanctuary is situated in land of attraction, Kerala, near the famous Vembanad Lake. It offers a home to a large number of migratory birds like Flycatcher, Teal, Siberian Stork, Crane, Parrots and Wood Beetle. Other bird sanctuaries in Kerala are Mangalavanam and Thattekkad bird sanctuary, situated on the banks of the Periyar River and famous for some of the rarest species of birds and other unique fauna.

Q. On the basis of your reading and understanding of the above passage, answer the following:

1. How big is the Namnangalam forest reserve ?
2. Where is Silent Valley National Park ?
3. Which river flows by the Mangalavanam and the Thattekkad bird sanctuary ?
4. The bird which is not found in the Namnangalam forest reserve is :
   1. Wood Beetle
   2. red-wattled lapwing
   3. the white-breasted kingfisher
   4. Indian eagle owl
5. Which of the following is a migratory bird ?
   1. Lion Tailed Macaque
   2. Indian eagle owl
   3. Siberian Stork
   4. The Nilgiri Tahr
6. The word in para 3 whose antonym is ‘Foreign’ is
   1. home
   2. endemic
   3. national
   4. reserve
7. Which of the following is true about Kumarakom bird sanctuary ?
   1. It is home to rare territorial orchids.
   2. It is in Chennai.
   3. Red-wattled lapwing is found here.
   4. It is famous for migratory birds.
8. The word ‘quill’ in para 1 can be replaced by
   1. beaks
   2. tail
   3. feather
   4. eyes

Answer

1. 2400 hectares
2. Kerala
3. Periyar
4. Wood Beetle
5. Siberian Stork
6. endemic
7. It is famous for migratory birds.
8. feather