Monday’s thunderstorm was boon for us but bane for avians

Though Monday’s thunderstorm had brought back the romance and smile in Delhiites as the temperature dipped but the same had also damaged several tress in Delhi University’s North Campus. As a result, around 150 birds were affected, out of which 50 died while more than 90 birds were either injured or found in a state of shock.

On Monday, the Wildlife Rescue Team received a call from a student of Delhi University informing that several trees were damaged in the storm and in maximum cases the branches have fallen. The birds who live in those trees have became homeless and also some of them were stuck beneath the broken branches and trunks.

Around 91 birds including black kites, pigeons, Eurasian collared dove, a mynah and a peacock were rescued by the team. 

These birds received head injuries, wounds, wet feathers, fractured wings, eye problems, broken legs or beaks. The damage to trees was reported from the area surrounding the stadium near Environmental Science Wing in the North Campus. 

“At around 8.30 pm we received a call and it took us around 45 minutes to reach the spot from our office in Wazirabad Village. Around 5 persons from the Wildlife Rescue reached the spot and started the rescue operation with the help of Delhi Police, students and other faculty members of the university. The rescue operation lasted till 4 am,” Nadeem Shehzad, a member of Wildlife Rescue told Millennium Post.

Several birds were found stuck under the branches that were broken in the storm. Around 58 black kites were found either in a state of shock or with injuries. In many cases, their wings became wet and they were unable to fly. As many as 10 black kites were rescued from Timarpur area that also witnessed the same level of destruction.

However, as many as 50 pigeons died either due to injuries or because they were stuck under the branches and trunks. “Most of the pigeons have died because one large tree had fallen and they were stuck beneath it. And due to wet wings they could not fly. Either they have died or were attacked by stray animals,” he further added.

Apart from 58 black kites, around 20 pigeons, two Eurasian collared dove, one mynah and one peacock were rescued from the North Campus. 

All the rescued birds except the peacock were taken at Wildlife Rescue facility where they were treated and around 20 of them were released after they started flying. The peacock, whose wings were fractured was taken to Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Center by the Delhi Police team.