Flamingoes stay off,no ‘pink blanket’ this year

“Our team has been studying and recording the birds’ visiting pattern for the past few years. This season,we found approximately 3,500 flamingoes in April,a month when the migration of these birds is usually at its peak.”

Last year,as many as 11,000 flamingoes were spotted at this area during the same time in April,Goenka said. According to experts,2008 was a good year as the birds came in time — by November — and were in good numbers too.

In 2007,the flamingoes had alarmed environmentalists when they failed to migrate to the city till March,at least four months from their anticipated arrival date. However,Goenka said in March and April,as many as 12,000 were estimated to have visited the city.

Flamingoes started visiting Mumbai since 2001.

Goenka said flamingoes’ arrival has been erratic over the past few years,but it was impossible to analyse their behaviour due to the lack of any scientific study. “The newest factor is climate change that’s evidently affecting almost all regions of the world,” he said.

“In Mumbai,we have been keeping track of the flamingoes’ arrival,behavioural and feeding patterns in the Thane creek. However,there is no record of how many birds breed in the Rann of Kutch,how many survive and how many embark upon their journey to Mumbai,” he said. He also said that while there was an ambition to track flamingoes closely — by digitally tabbing them — a great deal of fund would be required for such activities.

Prashant Mahajan,an environmentalist and a former member of BNHS’s Important Bird Areas,said,“Closer home,there could be two immediate causes for the low count of these visiting birds this year.

Either abundant food is available for them in Kutch because of which they didn’t have to take their annual journey or an imbalance in the ecosystem at Sewri due to which they have chosen not to land here. These factors have to be investigated.”

Greater flamingoes usually feed on molluscs and aquatic invertebrates as well as insects and larvae. They also feed on plants including seeds and marsh grasses. Lesser flamingoes’ diet includes blue-green algae and diatoms.