A booklet on birds was released at the inauguration ceremony of Karnataka Bird Festival-2023 at Kollur in Udupi district on Friday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The ninth edition of Karnataka Bird Festival kick started at Kolluru in Udupi district for three days on Friday.
Organised by the Karnataka Ecotourism Development Board in association with the Forest Department and Jungle Lodges and Resorts Pvt. Ltd, the festival has been organised to sensitise people over 500 species of birds to which Karnataka plays home. It is also to encourage bird-watching and to decrease the pressure on tiger-centric tourism. The Malabar Trogon (Harpactes fasciatus) is the mascot for this edition of the festival. It is a species of bird in the trogon family. The bird is found in the peninsular India and forests of Sri Lanka. In India it is mainly found in the Western Ghats, hill forests of Central India and in parts of the Eastern Ghats.
The Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary, Kolluru, which spans over 370.37 sq km, is home for over 300 species of birds. It is listed as an important bird area of the country, a release from the organisers said.
Speaking after inaugurating the festival, Baindoor MLA B.M. Sukumara Shetty said that forest hunting in Kolluru area has come down by 95% due to vigil by the Forest Department. He suggested the Forest Department to fence some spots where wild animals crossed road as such incidents led to road accidents.
M. Madan Gopal, chairman, Executive Committee, Karnataka Ecotourism Development Board, said that community support is required to protect birds.
A booklet to introduce Malabar Trogon was released on the occasion. The festival will end on January 8.
