Bar-headed geese, which are among the suspects in the cases related to the outbreak of bird flu in India, also spend their winters in Telangana state. The birds, which in many ways look like large ducks, are seen almost every year during the winter months in various water bodies.
‘You can find bar-headed geese in Gandipet, Pocharam, Manjeera and many other water bodies. However, it is not to say that every bird that migrates carries disease. It is not known if the ones found with bird flu were late arrivals, or somehow caught it after coming to India,’ Humayun Taher, coordinator for the Asian Waterbird Census 2021 for Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh, told Deccan Chronicle.
‘This year, we expect a wider spread of wintering water birds. After good rains, the lakes and ponds are well-stocked with water,’ Taher said.
The nearly 50-year-old group of birders in the state was called Birdwatchers Society of Andhra Pradesh before the bifurcation of the two Telugu states.