Pride of Addu

Of course there is no place like home, that is what I realised when I went back home last year. Home, sweet home, is what Addu is to me. And there are those things that you always took for granted when you were young or never appreciated the value. Once you have seen places or islands other than your own, then you begin to appreciate what you have, that is what happened to me.

I never knew how much I missed the chirping of the White Tern or Dhondheeni until recently. It gave me a sense of peace, as I listened to the twitters of dhondheenis perched high on the branches of our mango tree. This angelic white bird, found exclusively in Addu, gives a sense of uniqueness to the atoll and enhances the aesthetic beauty of the island environment. No wonder I always felt that something was missing from the other islands I happened to visit. It is the sounds and songs of Dhondheeni that has been with us Adduans for a long time and for me the island environment is only complete with a white turn flying above me. Dhondheeni is truly the pride of Addu Atoll.

White tern was the first bird protected in the Maldives on June 05, 1999 and many locals believe that the population of the bird is declining rapidly. While many theories exist for the causes of decline, there is an evident lack of both data and monitoring programs to support any of these theories and to provide a fully accurate assessment of their current population. For my ecology and biodiversity conservation research, I am hoping to carry out a study to analyse the abundance and habitat preference of this bird in Feydhoo. If everything goes according to plan and if I get some field volunteers, I would be done with my project by the end of June:):).


Photo: www.erc.gov.mv