If you are a bird lover or/and avian expert, you have an opportunity to be the part of this first ever all-India Flamingo census to be carried out in two phases—first one on February 23-24, and then in April at several sites across 12 States including the national Capital and neighbouring Haryana.
The all India count is expected to help in assessing the current population trend of Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus rosues and Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor and their habitats in India to help prepare the species action plan for their long term conservation, said an official from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) which is conducting the mega census.
Greater Flamingos, which are taller and whiter, have a mixed feeding pattern. It feeds on insects, small fishes and algae. The Lesser Flamingos are comparatively smaller and more pink and only feed on algae.
These two birds are also included in the India’s National Action Plan (NAP) for Conservation of Migratory Birds and their habitats along Central Asian Flyway (CAF) prepared by the Union Environment Ministry.
“This is the first initiative for a coordinated PAN-India flamingo count. We have in the past undertaken several studies including colour tagging, satellite tracking of Greater Flamingo and conservation actions in the past decades.
“Currently, we are monitoring both migratory birds population in some locations including the Mumbai seascape,” said the official adding that as this work is initiated through the citizens science, this also fulfil another activity of the NAP to promote migratory bird conservation initiatives through raising public awareness and local peoples’ participation, including citizen science groups.
The Central Asian Flyway (CAF), one among the nine flyways in the world, encompasses overlapping migration routes over 30 countries for different waterbirds linking their northern most breeding grounds in Russia (Siberia) to the southernmost non-breeding (wintering) grounds in the Maldives and the British Indian Ocean Territory.
The BNHS has short-listed major Flamingo congregation sites by referring available literature, past and present BNHS studies, Asian Waterbird Counts (AWC) and e-bird India database. Majority of these wetland sites are in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Telangana. In Delhi, these birds are sighted at Najafgarh jheel area while in Haryana the hotspots are Sultanpur National Park and Dighal wetlands.
“The government institutions, Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN) members, birdwatchers, NGOs, ornithologists, researchers, academicians and nature lovers across India are being encouraged to visit any of the short-listed sites or any site of their choosing where Flamingos are seen,” said the official.
