Good news: Mangroves are thriving. Bad news: Migratory birds are vanishing

By: Rajesh M RajagopalanTourists are flocking to the Kadalundi-Vallikunnu Community Reserve (KVCR), bordering the Malappuram and Kozhikode districts, to explore mangrove forests, relish local river fish and catch a glimpse of migratory birds.

Yet the number of winged visitors from far-flung places like Siberia has declined in recent years. The culprit: Flourishing mangroves and sandbank formation that have shrunk the mudflats, the crucial foraging grounds of shorebirds.Dr Muhamed Jafer Palot, a scientist at the Zoological Survey of India, cites several reasons for the estuarine crisis. “Multiple check dams in the upper reaches of the Kadalundi River affect sediment supply to the estuary.

Unscientific mangrove planting, dredging at Beypore port and administrative delays worsen the situation,” he explains.Vijesh Vallikunnu, an avid birdwatcher and wildlife photographer, notes the impact on migratory species. “Mudflats have shrunk from eight hectares to just one in a couple of years,” he says. “These flats are the birds’ temporary winter habitat in Kerala. Without them, many species hesitate to visit.”

According to P Sivadasan, former chairman of KVCR, the proliferation of Nakshathra Kandal (sweet-scented apple mangroves), coupled with waste accumulation and sand sedimentation, has drastically reduced the mudflats. Mangroves now cover 60 hectares of the 150-hectare reserve. While vital for carbon sequestration, their rapid expansion threatens the mudflats that protect wildlife and coastlines. “If we do not preserve the mudflats, migratory birds will abandon Kadalundi forever,” Vijesh laments.Migratory birds favor open mudflats, which offer safety from predators. Over 60 species have visited Kadalundi, coming from Alaska, Siberia, Tibet, China, Kazakhstan, and Scotland. Dominant species include lesser and greater sand plovers, Kentish plovers, Pacific golden plovers, common redshanks, common greenshanks, Eurasian curlews, sanderlings and grey plovers. These birds feed on polychaetes and crustaceans found abundantly in the mudflats.The sanctuary was a hidden gem until the late 1980s, when ornithologists Adv Namassivayam L and PK Uthaman brought it into the limelight. They documented the estuary’s birds in journals and erected awareness boards to prevent hunting, identifying over 135 species in the process.KVCR itself was established in 2007. Its 150 hectares include eight species of mangroves — Red, White Burma, Indian, Grey, Blind-your-eye, Black, Sweet-scented apple, and Holy-leaved acanthus.

Unlike most trees, mangroves produce live baby plants called propagules, which fall already sprouted. Historically, the native Uppatti Kandal (Indian mangrove) was abundant here. In the 1990s, guided by then DFO Amit Malik IFS, a mangrove planting drive introduced Red mangroves from Kannur, led locally by U Kalanathan, former president of Vallikunnu Panchayat.“Nakshathra Kandal is not native to Kadalundi. Its rapid spread, along with seawalls, dredging and slowed river flow due to new bridges, has contributed to the mudflat shrinkage,” says Ajith Kumar T, environmental activist and district convener of the Kerala Shastra Sahithya Parishad.Sand sedimentation worsens the problem: As mudflats harden, birds struggle to find prey. Floods in 2018 and 2019 aggravated the issue. The reserve straddles two districts, creating administrative confusion over who should act.Global warming has also altered migratory patterns. Birds that once arrived in Oct now show up as late as Jan. During the Covid pandemic, fishing boats moored near the sanctuary increased the presence of hawks and crows, while human activity and river-borne waste further disturbed the habitat.The decline of Kadalundi’s traditional retting industry has added to the challenge. The retting process used to soften husks, creating a rich environment for polychaetes and crabs, provided essential food for migratory birds. Its reduction has disrupted this food source.Kadalundi’s uniqueness lies in hosting a large number of birds in a compact area. If the mudflats continue to shrink, the estuary risks losing its feathered visitors. To restore Kadalundi’s glory as a birdwatcher’s paradise, the priority is clear: Regain the mudflats. Period.(The writer is a creative director who runs an ad agency)