Great white pelicans surprise Delhi

"Apart from global warming, climate changes also affect the migration pattern of birds and result in migration even during non-season instead of the usual winter," says ecologist

August 12, 2012 11:57 am | Updated 11:57 am IST - NEW DELHI:

A flock of Great White Pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus) seen at the Okhla Bird Sanctuary in New Delhi. Photo: Special Arrangement

A flock of Great White Pelicans (Pelecanus onocrotalus) seen at the Okhla Bird Sanctuary in New Delhi. Photo: Special Arrangement

Climate change has brought around surprise cheer at the Okhla Bird Sanctuary here. The arrival of a big flock of the Great White Pelican ( Pelecanus onocrotalus ) at the sanctuary in the rainy season is a cause of big cheer for avid bird watchers.

“Apart from global warming, climate changes also affect the migration pattern of birds and result in migration even during non-season instead of the usual winter,” says ecologist and conservationist T. K. Roy.

Ecologists who keep an eye out for such birds all year were thrilled when the flock of over 40, referred to by the locals as hawasil , arrived in the first week of August — much ahead of their normal expected arrival. While their population has been on decline, as per a report of Wetlands International, the arrival of the Great White Pelican in Delhi in a year which had witnessed a drop in migratory bird arrivals during the peak winter season is more than welcome.

“These birds are seen in pairs or flocks and breeds in Eastern Europe and Middle East. This species migrates to India in large numbers during winters and settles down mainly in Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat.”

As per the Asian Waterbird Census report, very few of these pelicans were spotted at the Okhla Bird Sanctuary in Delhi earlier — nine in 2007, 11 in 2008 and two in 2010. Mr. Roy said three species of the white pelican are available in Asia, one of which is the Great White Pelican — normally seen at large lakes and lagoons in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Incidentally, he said, a flock of Black-bellied Terns ( Sterna acuticauda ), one of the nearly threatened species, had arrived at the sanctuary in mid-July.

0 / 0
Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.