Joka wetlands
(Pic by K S Ray)
Images
Checklist
Kolkata
Joka grasslands
J oka is a
semi-urban area at the edges of
South West Kolkata.
It's
place in the global map is a result of the presence here
of The Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIMC) - a world renowned
business school.
But just behind IIMC,
and to the the east of the arterial Diamond Harbour Road on NH117, lies a small
tract of fallow mixed grassland and wetland which harbours an unbelievable array
of flora and fauna making it a bio-diversity hot spot. For birders and nature lovers - this is Joka!
Joka falls in the 'Lower Gangetic Plains' bio-geographic area
and is part of the alluvial plains of West Bengal. It must have been
entirely
a marshy wetland in times past. Later
much of the wetland was
reclaimed for agriculture and urbanization. Today it is a mixed
wetland-grassland ecosystem with patches of both types of habitats in
co-existence leading to the availability of numerous life forms. The "Tropical
grassland" consists of Phragmites-Saccharum-Imperata cover and is
dominated mainly by Phragmites, Saccharum, Erianthus, Imperata, Desmostachya
and Achyranthes species. The freshwater wetland part is seasonally
covered by various types of Typha, Sagittaria, Cryptocoryne,
Cyperus, Acrostichum, Ipomoea, Eleocharis and other species.
Joka is justly famous for marsh and grassland birds, some of
which are great rarities. However, it is also a place to find elusive and little
known reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, insects and even some rare mammals like
Fishing Cats and Large Indian Civets.
Taipei Grass Frog ~ a Joka resident
Non-bird
Images
Non-bird
List
Joka's list of birds is around 130 and this is the result of
work done over 3-4 years. In this list are four threatened species White-rumped
Vulture Gyps bengalensis (CR), Finn's Weaver Ploceus megarhynchus
(V) Darter Anhinga melanogaster (NT)
and
Bristled
Grassbird
Chaetornis striatus (V). And Joka is the only known site for the
grassbird and weaver in lower Bengal. Additionally, Joka plays host to some very
rare migrants like the Black-browed Reed
Warbler Acrocephalus bistrigiceps
and Lanceolated Warbler Locustella
lanceolata. Again, in both
cases, Joka is the only know regular site for these birds in West Bengal and
mainland India. In summer Joka is a breeding area for many species which include
Finn's Weaver, Watercock, pipits, prinias, cisticolas, weavers and other
species.
[CR- Critical; V - Vulnerable; NT - Near Threatened]
Finn's Weaver ~ an enigmatic resident of Joka
How to reach
Joka is on the south-west of Kolkata and off the arterial
Diamond Harbour Road connecting Behala to Pailan and beyond. It is well
connected by the public transport system and most taxi drivers know IIMC. Entry
to the wetland is by taking the dirt road (Yani Sarani) just after the bridge
over Charial Khal. The grasslands start a short way down the road and the
wetlands occur behind IIMC campus.
Joka Map
Latitude: 22°26'45"N;
Longitude: 88°18'32"E
Climate
Sunny and humid. High rainfall in the monsoons.
Summer (April - Sept) temperatures: Hi: 37 C / Lo: 28 C
Winter (Nov - Feb) temperatures: Hi: 30 C / Lo: 13 C
Black-browed Reed Warbler
Birding Season
Year round
Links
IIM Calcutta
All Images in this section are
from Joka
Copyright 2002 - 2010 Sumit K Sen
March 2010, Kolkata
|
