Nearly 20 species of seabirds spotted in offshore pelagic survey

An offshore pelagic survey conducted recently with the support of the Forest department and birdwatchers off Chombala harbour in Kozhikode district recorded sightings of around 20 species of seabirds, including three rarely spotted ones.

The one-day survey was held after a gap of 15 years. A fibre boat travelled more than 50 nautical miles as part of the initiative. Chief Forest Social Conservator R. Keerthi, Divisional Forest Officer (Social Forestry) K. Neethu, and Range Officer Akhil Narayanan led the team, accompanied by selected birdwatchers from the Malabar Natural History Society.

“Pomarine Jaeger, White-cheeked Tern, Common Tern, Lesser Black-backed Gull, and Whiskered Tern were among the seabirds spotted during the journey. Though a few team members experienced seasickness, the trip was completed successfully with all precautions in place,” said a Forest department officer who was part of the team. He added that senior birdwatcher Sathyan Meppayur explained the details of the sighted birds to the members.

Apart from documenting the birds, the team also observed the alarming pollution reportedly caused by discarded plastic waste in the sea. They noted that floating plastic debris was contributing to severe environmental pollution and called for stronger interventions to address the issue.