Where are the flamingos Rains confine birds to the Rann…..Simit Bhagat
Mumbai:First the good news: migratory birds have kept their date with the city.Now the bad: large flocks have been absent this year from bird watching hotspots like Sewri and Vashi.
September onwards every year,many Mumbaikars look forward to the arrival of migratory birds,especially flamingos.But this time round,the pink-feathered birds are clearly missing.Generally,by the end of November,large flocks of waders can be seen at mudflats and creeks n the city.But this year,the flocks have shrunk, said Adesh Shivkar,an ornithologist.
Among such species are red shanks,plovers,wagtails and warblers,which come to wetlands like Uran,besides Sewri and Vashi.The numbers of even rosy starlings and birds of prey such as osprey,buzzards and marsh harriers have dwindled.
There is a clear decline in the number of migratory birds spotted in the city compared to previous years.Earlier,we could easily spot waders and Aquila eagles in good numbers, Shivkar said.
Ornithologists said some birds,including flamingos,did not migrate to the region this year because of the prolonged Monsoon.Flamingos breed in the Rann of Kutch and migrate to Mumbai in search of food.This year,however,Kutch received good rainfall,as a result of which algae (flamingos food) has been available in plenty, said Mayuresh Khatavkar,who leads birdwatching trails for environmental organisations like the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS).
Only when the water starts receding in the Rann will the birds migrate to this region (Mumbai).This could take a couple of months.
Many migratory birds come from Central Europe,Central Asia,Siberia,Mongolia,the Middle East,the Himalayas and the trans-Himalayan region.Some,like the Amur falcon,are passage migrants,which,on their way from Mongolia and central Russia to Africa,halt in India.
Though no scientific study is being carried out on the decline in the b irds numbers,ornithologists cite climatic and ecological changes as the main reasons.Rahul Chowhan,who has published a scientific paper on the avifauna of Borivlis mangroves,said: Till a year ago,birds like rosy starlings could be easily spotted here.But there are hardly any this year,particularly around the Gorai creek.
According to a recent study–State of the Worlds Water Birds,2010–by Wetlands International,the water bird population in Asia has come down drastically.The reason,it says,is threats like pollution,conversion of wetlands for development projects and degradation of marshes and lakes.
Of the 300-odd bird species found in Mumbai,nearly 35% are of migratory birds.The habitats include Aarey Milk Colony,Sanjay Gandhi National Park,Sewri Creek,Panvel,Vasai Fort and Maharashtra Nature Park,Mahim.