40 million birds over-run Cross River
From Anietie Akpan, Calabar[size=16pt][/size]

ABOUT 40 million swallows, a special bird in Europe that gives indication on global warming, have landed in Nigeria.

The birds which started arriving Nigeria with the beginning of the dry season come to roost in Ebbaken in Boje, Boki Local Council of Cross River State.

Yearly, due to seasonal changes, the birds come to Boje to roost and this year's population is said to be the biggest in the history of swallow birds' migration from Europe into Africa.

The beautiful black and white birds according to experts start to migrate in October to Boje and stay throughout the dry season (October - April) before going back to Europe.

Before now, the locals and poachers posed great danger to the birds but an ornithologist with the National Wildlife Institute in Bologna, Italy, Mr. Pierfrancesco Micheconi said 'today, I want to say that the local people have lots to sacrifice. They don't eat the swallows again. Before, they kill up to 200,000 of the swallows but now, they don't kill them again".

Micheconi who has been studying swallow birds since 1987, said Boje in Nigeria has the biggest swallow route to Africa were millions come to sleep. "We have monitor African countries and Boje is the biggest. Our job is to cage them and put them one ring in the leg for identification.

"We study them at evenings and mornings. They feed on mosquitoes and sun flies at night; all of them after traveling a distance of about 200 kilometres in search of food and where to bath, come to sleep at the hills in the elephant grass and this set is about 40 million and it is impressive".

For years the swallows which come from Belgium, Holland, France, Italy, Germany, Switzerland and others to Nigeria in dry season according to the expert, "always prefer the elephant grass at Boje even though there are other elephant grasses elsewhere and studies so far have not shown why they are attracted there".

However, Micheconi noted that they have continued to study the birds "and our aim is to see where they pass and come back, to see if their population is increasing or not as swallow birds is a very important ideological indicator and can give indications on global warming".

In Europe, he said the sighting of swallows signifies the end of winter and these birds bring luck. Then the butterflies and flowers will come and they bring spring.

He said the birds could attract large number of tourists as "many Europeans like to come to Boje and view millions of these birds perching and flying away or even coming to roost in the elephant grass. The birds can become tourists' attraction but the problem is that there is no accommodation in Boje.

"The government should make a base to welcome the tourists. I come with 10 to 15 people but there is no good accommodation in Boje. Government should develop the area to attract tourists by building tourist quarters. If the place is developed, large number of people can come in every year. For instance, with current arrangement, we paid N8,000 each to see the swallows or ring them and the people gave us receipts. I want to say that the local people are making a lot of sacrifice and they don't eat the swallows anymore as was the case in the past were they will kill swallows and sell. Now, the community has put a ban and if you hunt swallows, you pay a fine of N10,000 and we really appreciate their effort".

According to him, "our dream is to continue to monitor them. The swallow birds are not harmful rather they are useful to humans as they feed on mosquitoes and sun fly and the weather here in Boje is good for them. The birds can be seen in large number in the evening when they come to roost and when it is hot they bath in the stream.


http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/news/article16//indexn3_html?pdate=100309&ptitle=40%20million%20birds%20over-run%20Cross%20River&cpdate=100309

Na here dem won hide

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They'll soon cross boarder back to Europe during autumn. Even birds dey fear to live in Naija.

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It's only those that know about witches and wizards know there are some among birds. I am hearing it for the first time and thanks Tpia for teaching me.

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Because i don't have yorobatic accent. It's Yorubas that call it winsh and i don't see the relevance on this topic since you brought it up. Once again, i didn't know there are winshes among birds until you let me into their world this morning. Than you for teaching me.

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yes nah. By their words we shall know them. Yorubas say: the vegetable seller wey dey yell say im vegetable no be trashy one. Who ask am?

Your protests are too loud- shows you have something to hide.

I've got nothing to hide bozo. It's you that bears a grudge for igbos that I pity for because we no send YOU!. If you continue like this, you will die a miserable old woman somewhere in Akute, New Zealand.

if na to identify masquerade now, thats your area of expertise.

Yes, I do masqurade. Anything wrong with that.