It is not the prisoners alone that the Vellore Central Prison for Men house. The facility, in fact, entertains several species of birds, primarily the native ones.
The sprawling campus at Thorapadi, spread over 153 acres, has 1,270 trees that canopy the premises. The presence of a water tank in the vicinity has only made the place more conducive for the winged visitors.
No less than 15 different species of birds can be seen perched on the trees, said T V Manjunatha, an avid bird watcher and till recently the District Forest Officer of Vellore. “I have visited the prison campus on a few occasions and had a glance of a good number of water birds and prey birds,” he said.
“The chirping of birds gets louder after 5 pm as they prepare to return to their nests. The tweeting sound of the birds are like a pleasant music,” said Superintendent of the prison N. Arivudainambe. A range of species of birds start flocking from November and roost till late June every year, he added.
Birds such as little egret, cattle egret, pond heron, Indian pond heron, lesser golden-backed woodpecker, black-crowned night heron, Indian little cormorant, mynas, warblers, babblers, sunbird, black kites, shakira, sparrow hawk, black shoulder kites, parakeet and white breasted kingfishers are found in large numbers here. “Night herons are rare in this part of the state. It can be seen where the environment is safe and the source of food is high. The presence of this kind of bird is really an encouraging sign for bird watchers,” said Manjunatha.
Mynas, warblers, babblers and sunbirds are seen here in good numbers. The abundance of insects, rats and reptiles in the thick greenery inside has made the place a permanent nesting spot.
The presence of water bodies such as Otteri, Sathuperi and small ponds in the vicinity has turned into a good source of food for water birds.
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