Six species of wetland birds—including two, classified as ‘near-threatened'—were spotted at the Thenmala dam by a team of surveyors from the Forest Department and the Travancore Natural History Society. The survey at the dam in the Shenduruni Wildlife Sanctuary in Kollam district was held on January 28. According to society member M. Ramesh, the survey team spotted 72 River Terns, 36 Small Pratincoles, eight Oriental Darters and two Stork-billed Kingfishers. The Oriental Darter is classified ‘near threatened' in International Union for Conservation of Nature's (IUCN) Red List category of birds. Grey-headed Fish Eagle which is also classified as ‘near threatened' was the other bird of prey spotted that day. Habitat The sand banks of the reservoir's catchment area host birds such as River Tern Sterna and Small Pratincole which typically require large reservoirs or freshwater lakes. Both these birds breed during summer, especially when the water level goes down exposing the sand banks, Mr. Ramesh pointed out in an email. They breed in big colonies and are the key elements of a river ecosystem. “This survey is the first of its kind at Thenmala Dam and this is the beginning of continuous monitoring of these wetland birds,” the email quoted the Assistant Wildlife Warden, Thenmala, Heeralal, as saying. “These numbers are likely to increase during the upcoming breeding months. The timing of the survey is very significant since the count after nesting will indicate the number of fledglings for this breeding season,” Mr. Ramesh pointed out. Both River Tern and Small Pratincole are ground-nesting birds and they are said to breed by the reservoir every year. They are known to create a depression on ground and lay one or two eggs. “Regular monitoring will enable us to generate data on its existence, which is helpful in creating master plans for sustainable river ecosystems,” the mail quoted Society coordinator H. Charan as saying. Society members K. Baiju, Anil and Unni were also part of the survey team.