Porbandar bird survey records 5.76 lakh birds of 220 species

A flock of flamingos seen in Javar during the bird count in Porbandar. Photo by K Nityanandam.

As per the data shared by the BCSG, Eurasian coot or common coot was the most abundant species during the count with survey pegging their numbers to 1.57 lakh individuals. It was followed by northern pintail (77,447), greater flamingos (43,015), lesser flamingos (39,152), Eurasian wigeon (31,994), green winged teal (26,159), demoiselle crane (24,216), northern shoveler (24116), and gadwall (15053). More than 6000 rosy pelicans were also sighted.

In all, 2.06 lakh ducks and geese, 1.57 lakh rails, coots and crakes, 1.02 lakh flamingos, 29,354 cranes, 29,762 gulls, 18,066 waders, 4,795 cormorants, 2,674 herons, egrets and bitterns, 2,010 terns, 1,874      ibises and spoonbills and 397 storks were counted.

“During this year’s count, the teams of birdwatchers recorded species like bronze-winged jacana, common starlings, chest-tailed starlings etc which were not sighted during the previous year’s count,” Dhaval Vargiya, a consulting faculty with the BCSG said.

“One obvious reason for the higher count of birds is that we undertook the bird count during peak bird migration season this year,” Uday Vora, honorary secretary of BCSG said.

Vargiya opined the higher numbers may have to do with the level of water in wetlands. “This year, the water levels seem to be ideal for waterbirds,” he said.

This year, more than 3.60 lakh birds were counted in Mendha creek, followed by Kuchhadi, Mokarsagar wetland complex and Bardasagar wetland.

In collaboration with the Gujarat state forest department, the BCSG had undertaken its maiden bird count in Porbandar wetlands last year and this year’s was its second edition.