Mumbai: Two migratory bird species, the curlew sandpiper and piping plover, which were ringed by the Bombay Natural History Society between 2014 and 2015, have been spotted in the wetlands at Sewri.
Known to come from the far north of Russia, the curlew sandpipers travel close to 5,000 km to reach India, while the plovers travel from north Asia or Europe.
Birders say that their coming here brings along good news: that the Sewri wetlands are their favourite place.
Between December 2014 and February 2015, the BNHS had ringed over 1,500 different migratory birds, many of which were curlew sandpipers and plovers. A lightweight metal number tag was attached to the leg of the bird to identify them and to chart their flight.
“The spotting of these birds tells us that this is their favourite place, and they keep coming back here,” said Dr. Raju Kasambe, a bird expert with BNHS, who, along with birder S. Krishnan, spotted the two species at the Sewri jetty during the flamingo festival in April.
“These birds spend summers in their breeding grounds and then fly towards India and arrive here by November or December. Again, they start flying back towards Russia from March in lots,” said Dr. Kasambe adding that there is no randomness in their visits. “They are regular visitors, which is a good thing for bird enthusiasts,” he added.
According to Dr. Kasambe, mudflats are very important for the migratory birds, as they offer an important food source. “We should do everything to protect these sites and limit human activity, as these places host a large number of water birds every year.”
Since 1927, the BNHS has ringed over a million birds in various parts of the country. The process is important to study the migration of birds.
