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GOVINDAPERI - A Birding Surprise By Abdul Basheer
We spent a day walking around the village, the quiet hamlets, ponds and tanks. The simple villagers appeared to be a very hard working farming community. Very few motor vehicles were seen on the country roads to distract your attention. We made a trek to the nearby forest patch along the stream with dry deciduous species and open thorny bushes. We could see 70+ taxa of bird species within three hours. Considering the variety of the habitats and frequency of sightings we feel that the number could go over 150+ easily. Govindaperi is situated quite close
to the Kalakkad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR), the veritable home
of ecological and biological diversity . It is a vast multitude of
habitats of extent 900 Sq. Kms, which has 150 localized plant
endemics, 33 fish, 37 amphibian, 81 reptile, 273 birds and 77
mammals species. The proximity to such a fascinating
abode which protects the catchment of numerous rivers which in
turn supports the agricultural economy of the entire region is an
added attraction. The ponds and lakes are ideal spots
for watching waterbirds. Herons, Egrets, Jacanas, Storks, Terns,
Stilts and a variety of migratory ducks and waders are seen all
around. What attracts you most are
the quietness of the village life and the lure of open spaces.
Time seems to stand still and it moves along with gentle breezes and
distant bird calls.. The pace of life so serene that you leave
all the pressing needs of the a busy and stressful world far
behind. Accommodation was a
problem but we heard of ‘Mayooram’, a quaint laid-back farm house
nearby which provided an unforgettable ambience to the weary wanderer of the
wilderness. Young Rajesh who owns the farm is also a keen birder. For those in search of more avians, there are the birding
havens of Kunthakulam,
Ariyakulam and
Arippa Bird Sanctuaries Abdul Basheer - kfdcmnr@sancharnet.in
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Govindaperi is a quiet village
situated in the foothills of Southern tip of the Western Ghats. It is
an open area interspersed with hills, valleys, lakes, ponds ,mango
grove, paddy fields, sugercane fields, forest patches ranging from
thorny scrub to moist evergreen. If you are a lover of open spaces
sprawling before you with margins of greenery extending to the hills
beyond to the sky line, Govindaperi is the place for you. For
a birder, this is an excellent birding destination. The variety
of micro-habitats, the imperceptible but obvious eco-tonal variations
resulting from the wide range of overlapping of different eco-systems
contribute a great deal to the diversity of organisms especially bird
species occurring in the area.