Siberian Cranes in Khandoli. A Telegraph picture

Giridih, Dec. 5: Poaching has become a serious threat to thousands of migratory birds flocking every year to the Khandoli dam.

While the birds from the Northern Hemisphere visit the dam ? 8 km from the district headquarters ? to find a suitable ?warmer? place, people from different parts of the district come here for gunning the birds down for the poaching.

The birds ? including Great Cormorant, Siberian Duck, Siberian Crane, Brahmani, Bar-headed-goose, Drano, Little Grave and several other species ? migrate to the dam, on the northeast of the district headquarters, for reproduction in a congenial environment.

Local birdwatchers said the migration of the birds ? with some of them even travelling over 75,000 km ? began in the second week of November every year.

But the change of ecological conditions, increase of pollution and the poaching have reduced the number of winged visitors.

Khandoli offers a scenic beauty with a peaceful environment for the birds for reproduction. ?For the past several centuries, migratory birds have been coming to Khandoli and other areas of Giridih district but in the past 10 or 15 years the number has reduced significantly,? said Abhishek Sahay, a regular birdwatcher.

Even a local shopkeeper is aware of the imminent danger, which threatens the birds? existence. ?A lot of people come to Khandoli during these months for the sheer pleasure of hunting the birds,? said a local shopkeeper.

Not many species are coming here nowadays. ?Earlier more than 40 species of migratory birds used to come but now only 15 kinds are spotted. Some of the birds like the Great Cormorant usually come here in large numbers between November and March,? Sahay added.

?Efforts are on to develop Khandoli as a tourist spot but unfortunately no step has been taken to ensure the safety of these birds ? a major attraction for the visitors. It is good that these migratory birds are still coming but the administration should ensure their safety,? said Abhishek.