Siberian cranes crowd flooded areas in Barmer

Barmer, Nov 2 (UNI) Siberian cranes have started flocking in huge numbers at the artificial lakes and water bodies created due to August floods in Barmer district.

With the onset of winter season, Siberian cranes usually gather at the Navoda lake in Panchpadra tehsil in Barmer district. But this year the floods in August flooded places like Kawas and Malwa.

As water has still not been drained out, artificial lakes and water bodies have been formed in the region. And thousands of Siberian cranes have started arriving in Kawas, Malwa, Jaan Singh ki Beri, Tagu, Nand and Redana.

In Kawas the water bodies are spread over an area of eight km, in Redana six km, in Jaan Singh Ki Beri eight km and in Malwa 12 km.

Siberian cranes are known as Kurjas in local dialect. Earlier, the Kurjas used to flock at a lake, just eight km away from here and the village began to be called as Kurja village. But with time, the place began to lose its significance for Kurjas as they started flying to Khinchan village in Jodhpur.

For over a decade, Kurjas are now flying down to Navoda lake in Panchpadra tehsil. Kurjas finds special mention in Rajasthan folk songs, weaving them in songs for the beloved.

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