The Winged Citizens Of Guwahati

There are around 210 species of resident birds in Guwahati. Though this seems like a wide range of species diversity, their species density in the city is dampening

- Nidarshana Mahanta

Much has been written on migratory birds - the seasonal winged visitors to Guwahati. But in a city of fast growing concrete structures, the survival of the resident birds is something that needs our attention too. It is the ‘age of the versatile birds’, says wildlife scientist and assistant professor at Department of Environmental Biology, Cotton University, Narayan Sharma. For the resident birds of a developing city, it is necessary for them to be able to generalize and adapt. The sparrows, for example, that once made their homes on the roofs of Assam type houses have now taken shelter in the chimneys of our kitchen pipes or other crevasses.

There are around 210 species of resident birds in Guwahati. Though this seems like a wide range of species diversity, their species density in the city is dampening.

Jayaditya Purkayastha, the Secretary of Help Earth NGO, said, ‘Only those species which could adjust and adapt to the city’s increasing concrete structures have been able to thrive. Some of them have become specialized for the urban environment and have learned to gather food from our refuse. They have modified their lifestyle according to ours. Take for example the hundreds of black kites that roost in the BSNL tower in Panbazar.’