Birds colonise house after floods; residents’ ‘wings clipped’

Kaduthuruthy: While several people who left their homes in the devastating August floods returned to see their homes looted or destroyed, one family here saw their home turn into a bird sanctuary.

E Sukumaran and his family hailing from Kallara ran for their lives when the waters gushed in drowning everything in its way. When he returned from the relief camp he discovered that his compound has been colonised by birds, both local and migratory.

Every evening, hundreds of them perch on the trees as well as every other available place inside Sukumaran's compound.

Apart from migratory birds, local species like crane, cormorant, darter, water fowl and cattle heron are also seen, says Sukumaran.

After the birds return to their nests in the evening, it becomes impossible to sit peacefully inside as the entire area would reverberate with their cries, calls, shrieks and hoots, he adds.

In the morning, the birds go in search of food, but the entire place would be covered with their droppings and feathers. “It takes several hours to clean the place,” says the harassed householder.

Another problem is posed by the chicks which fall off the numerous nests on the trees.

Branches of many trees have also broken off unable to hold the weight of the birds and are dying.

According to Sukumaran, many of his neighbors have moved out of their houses as they were helpless against the trouble created by the birds.

Now Sukumaran’s family and their remaining neighbours are at their wit’s end due to the invasion of the birds, but they do not intend to drive away the feathered creatures or harm them in any way.