Perumbarai Environment Centre
Perumbarai Environment Centre A must see spot for Bird watchers
You can dine with a couple of Grizzled giant squirrels, have tea in front of a dozen Vernal hanging parrots, go for a stroll to sight 60 Pompadour green pigeons.
All these are not happening in a bird sanctuary, but in a small habitat loved by the birds. The place is Perumbarai Environment Centre which is 45 kms from Dindigul in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu.
Great Birding spot of Perumbarai Environment Centre (PEC) which is credited for organizing the first South Indian bird watcher’s fair in the year 2004. In a survey conducted in 2006, 160 species of birds were recorded and the number has increased to 176 in 2010. PEC is located at an average elevation of 1000 MSL. “PEC is an area thickly populous with birds and the population here has never declined. This is because there are large number of trees which bears fruits and these fruits are sold only after the birds consume enough of them,” “Bird sighting is a matter of chance,” says N.Arun Sankar, Secretary of PEC.The bird watching trip involved a trek to Vellarikarai, Thariyankudisai and Pullaveli. Around 50 species of birds could spotted during the one days of stay at PEC. Some of the interesting birds are Asian fairy blue bird, Coppersmith barbet, Pompadour green pigeon, Plum headed parakeet, Lorikeet or Vernal hanging parrot, Crested serpent eagle, etc.
Dr.Manivannan’s Memorable Moment of birding at PEC
In addition to bird watching, the students also got to watch bird videos and learnt a lot about the bird sounds. Bird watching turned out to an exciting affair when two high resolution spotting scopes were carried to the field. There are about 65 species of resident birds and twice the number of Locally migrant birds in the area. Malabar Parakeet has one of the strongest voices amongst all birds and the Drongo mimics 26 varieties of birds. Myna is another bird that mimics various other birds. Male birds sing well to attract the females and this occurs mainly in the breeding season. It advertises itself mainly through its voice.
There are very limited bird watchers in the South and it is merely for leisure and one can’t expect monetary benefits out of it. But conservation is quintessential for all. “Western Ghats is one of the key centers of Bio diversity and there is tremendous need for conservation. The concerned authorities should take responsibility and guide the conservationists for better results,” says Joe Homan, founder of PEC. He feels that everyone is doing their own thing but without meeting up. The idea of beginning the process of environment clubs suddenly hit upon him 45 years back when he came to India.
Dr.Manivannan showing his photograph with Mr.Joe Homan
Joe Homan says that the main idea is to use PEC as a conservation area and also to use it to create awareness. “Indians are quite open to the aspect of conservation but implementing it seems to be very difficult. Training students and making them environmentalists would reap rich results,” added Homan.
PEC though controlled by Boys town society, also founded by Joe Homan, is an independent body. It has tie ups with renowned nature conservation research institutes like The Bombay Natural History Society. Field trips are arranged every two months and students get to enjoy this at very subsidized rates. Coffee, pepper, orange are the major cultivating crops with bananas being grown in some areas. Poaching is minimal here. PEC’s future plan is to create a butterfly park by planting lots of butterfly host plants and opening it commercially to the public.
Here is the list of birds spotted in and around PEC
1.Asian Brown Fly Catcher
2.Grey Headed Canary Flycatcher
3. Jungle Babbler
4. White Breasted Kingfisher
5. White Breasted Water Hen
6.Small Blue Kingfisher
7.Oriental Magpie Robin
8.Red Vented Bulbul
9.Red Whiskered Bulbul
10.Great Tit
11.Jungle Myna
12.Hill Myna
13.Whistling Thrush
15.Crested Serpent Eagle
16.Jungle Owlet
17.Little Spider Hunter
18.Velvet Fronted Nuthatch
19.Spotted Dove
20.Rufous Tree Pie
21.Oriental White Eye
22.Pompadour Green Pigeon
23.Shikra
24.Drongo Cuckoo
25.Greater Flame Back Woodpecker
26.Jungle Crow
27.Racket Tailed Drango
28.Bronzed Drongo
29..Eurosian Sparrow Hawk
30. Greater Coucal
31.Ashy Wood Swallow
32.Malabar Parakeet
33.Pond Heron
34.Lesser Golden Backed Woodpecker
35.Yellow Bronzed Bulbul
36..Long Tailed Shrike
37.White Cheeked Barbet
38.Asian Fairy Blue Bird
39.Common Tailor Bird
40.Plum Headed Parakeet
41.Large Cuckoo Shrike
42.Yellow Bronzed Bulbul
43.Black Headed Oriole
44.Coppersmith Barbet
45.Purple Rumped Sun Bird
46.Golden Front Leaf Bird
47.Scarlet Minivet
48.Ruby Throated Barbet
49. Vernal Hanging Parrot
