For 33-year-old entrepreneur Manoj Kumar Vittapu, his recent outing in the Vikarabad forest was truly memorable. For, he sighted the rare blue-and-white flycatcher, a migratory songbird.
“Historically, it has very sporadic records in India. This is the first time it has been sighted in Telangana and in the eastern part of the country,” says the city-based youth, who has been into birding and wildlife photography since 2016.
Bird Day today
“Sighting the species ahead of the National Bird Day on January 5 gives us extra joy. It is a rare winter visitor, also known as Japanese Flycatcher,” adds Manoj.
According to him, one of the interesting facts about bird watching is the element of surprise.
“You never know what you may find while being out in nature,” he says, recollecting his encounter with the bird in the company of another well-known face in the field of birding — Sudeshna Dey, an MBA graduate from IIM-Ahmedabad.
“The most important aspect of this sighting is that typically this flycatcher has been found only in the Western ghats until now. It can only be seen in Japan in late spring, summer and early autumn. It nests and feeds in natural habitats, preferably open woodland with lots of good perch sites,” says the avid bird watcher.
The species can also be seen in gardens and parks. As autumn draws closer, the birds leave Japan, preferring to spend the winter in the warmer climes of Southeast Asia, Manoj explains.
