A wagtail

Shillong, Nov. 23: Certain species of migratory birds, like wagtails, have made the Northeast their home.

The wagtail, which migrates from the Himalayan region, settles in and around Nongnah village in West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya. The birds fly to Bangladesh during the day but promptly come back to nest in India every evening.

Mawthapdah, a hamlet inNongnah, plays host to the wagtail during the harsh winter months.

With the onset of the cold season, three varieties of wagtails — the blue wagtail, white wagtail and gray wagtail — fly from the western Himalayan ranges and other parts of Pakistan like Baluchistan to the northeasten parts of India. The birds arrive in the Northeast from September and stay on till March.

The wagtails are a genus of small passerine birds with long tails, which they wag frequently. Motacilla, the root of the family and genus name, literally means “moving tail”.

These birds breed during the winter. Nongnah is one of the ideal places for these birds to head for during this season.

The villagers of Nongnah are planning to convert the area where these migratory birds are seen in abundance into a community reserve forest. The state forest department is also helping the villagers in their venture.

“Normally, the government takes the final decision to convert an area into a reserve forest and approaches people for land. In this case, villagers have themselves come forward to save the forest for the safety of the birds,” said B.K. Reddy, divisional forest officer (wildlife).

Once the place is declared a community reserve forest, the rules applicable to a protected area would apply. This would prohibit people from hunting in the area or harming the birds. “We are concerned about the safety of the birds. Once they are secure, the place could be developed for eco-tourism,” said Poly Marwein, secretary of Maharam Syiemship Development Society. The society acts as a bridge between the state forest department and Nongnah villagers in developing the entire nesting habitatas a reserve forest.

The Meghalaya forest department has informed the villagers about the modalities they need to fulfil before the 3.5 acres of forest land can be declared a community reserve forest.