Migratory bird Shiri (Grey Sided Thrush) leave ahead of departure time
Source: The Sangai Express

Ukhrul, January 12 2017: Migratory bird, Grey Sided Thrush, locally called "Shiri" in Tangkhul have left Ukhrul district early ahead of normal departure time this year although the number of the migratory bird saw a huge increase this year.

This particular migratory bird swarm the Shirui mountain range in Ukhrul district in the winter looking for food.

According to villagers, this year saw a marked increase in the number of Shiri compared to the previous years.

The birds start to flock the dense forest from the third week of December till the last week of January.

But this year the migratory birds have started leaving Shirui mountain range.

Seeing the huge increase in the number of the migratory bird, the villagers carried out extensive hunting trips, killing many of them in the process and Shiri is a preferred food item for the people in Ukhrul district.

Migratory bird Shiri (Grey Sided Thrush) leave ahead of departure time

The hunters use anything they can lay their hands on, ranging from catapult, air gun, SBBL rifle and the locally made adhesive 'Nei' which is used to trap the bird.

Nei is prepared from the fruits of a particular tree found atop the Shirui mountain range.

The Shirui mountain range covers Shirui, Khangkhui Khunou, Khangkhui Khullen, Sihai, Mapum, Lunghar etc, where the migratory bird Shiri takes shelter.

Leihao tree (Meghalia Champaca) grow thickly on this mountain range and so do other fruit bearing trees.

It is the fruits of these trees that Shiri comes to feed.

According to some of the hunters, the birds after feeding on the seed fruit of Leihao drink water from the nearby stream and it is while drinking water that the bird can be easily trapped using the local adhesive Nei.

This year, the number of Shiri was so huge that a hunter could collect 300 or more birds from a particular area on a single day.

Another Shiri hunter, Zimik ( name changed) said he managed to shoot at least 70 Shiris this year using his catapult or air gun.

Not surprisingly the indiscriminate killing of the migratory bird for the table and the deforestation of Shirui mountain range has drastically reduced the number of the migratory bird.

Another peculiar development is the point that the migratory bird has left the mountain range earlier than the normal departure time.

Usually Shiri leave by the last week of January but this year they have started leaving, said the villagers.