KOCHI: The peacock spotting at the Mangalavanam Bird Sanctuary might not be such a great news after all. In the last few months, the bird is being regularly spotted in and around the sanctuary. However, conservators feel migration or betterment in the quality of the sanctuary might not have anything to do with bird spotting.“There are no forests in the nearby areas for the bird to have migrated. Moreover, peacocks don’t travel long distances. They cannot fly like other birds but glide from one tree or similar structure to the other. As such, it is highly improbable for the birds to have migrated from such long distances. Also, peacocks prefer dry habitats. Mangalavanam with its wet ecosystem is not likely to attract the bird,” said ornithologist R Sugathan.“About a month before the bird was spotted here, it was spotted on a tree near the High Court. The bird which was spotted here is likely to be the same one. It seems like someone would have released the bird from their home somewhere in the city and the bird would have come to the nearest green habitat,” said Jayakumar, the caretaker at the sanctuary.Interestingly, the bird has been showing several behavioural patterns of a tamed bird. The bird visits the nearby tea stalls and the shops in the vicinity.“It comes and sits here regularly. We spot it almost everyday. One lady even feeds the bird,” says V K Ashokan, who runs a little hotel near the boundary of the sanctuary.“Peacocks are usually scared of humans. Such behavioural pattern means that the bird has been tamed. Many people resort to releasing the bird due to strict animal and bird laws,” said R Sugathan.
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