Weaver birds in courtyard: A rare sight indeed

JAIPUR: An endangered species, weaver birds have found a home in the courtyard of Mani Panda of Chandipur in the district. The nests on his two coconut trees have been growing by the day.“I was delighted to find the nests on the coconut trees about two years back. It was then that I decided to leave the two trees for these birds,” said Mani Panda. He not only protects the once common and now a rare species on the oldest coconut trees in his orchard, but also feeds them regularly.The chirping of about 400 birds can be heard clear and loud from the coconut grove which they found ideal for nesting. “Mani feeds them with paddy, rice, black  and green grams all year through. He also guards them during the day,” said Jogendra Kumar Panda, a neighbour. The villagers are extending their hand to protect the birds, considered a good omen.“Baya nest colonies are usually found on coconut or palm trees in our areas and the nests are built near water or found hanging over water where predators cannot reach easily.  Watching these birds weave their nests with green leaves, lay, incubate, hatch eggs and feed fledglings, is a sight to behold,” said Sanjay Pradhan, a bird researcher.Massive industrialisation and felling of trees are the main reasons for the dwindling population of Baya bird, said Pradhan adding use of fertiliser in farmland and non-availability of feed have brought down their number.