Two species to enter Nal Sarovar’s migratory list

The two-day bird population estimation exercise at Nal Sarovar and nearby Thol Wildlife Sanctuary by the state forest department concluded Sunday. Besides forest department staff, 104 volunteers participated in the exercise in Nal Sarovar and 32 in Thol, also a Ramsar Site.

A red-breasted goose.

The census’s technical coordinator Uday Vora, an IFS officer who retired as the chief conservator of forests (CCF) from the Gujarat forest department, said the two new species will enter the official records of species at Nal Sarovar.

“Teams sighted a red-breasted goose near Ranagadh village and a marbled teal in another part of the wetland. Both were solitary and can be called vagrants, though marbled teal was sighted in Banni last year and in Porbandar in 2009. Marbled teal was also reported during 1992 and 2006 census at Nal Sarovar but there was no confirmation. So, 2022 is the first census wherein we have photographic evidence. Also, this is the first census wherein a red-breasted goose has been recorded,” Vora told The Indian Express.

RBG breeds in the Arctic Russia and winters, mainly in the Black Sea. However, this is the second consecutive year this species was sighted in Gujarat. Last winter, too, a solitary RBG was sighted in Nal Sarovar as well as in Thol.

Vora, also the joint secretary of the Bird Conservation Society of Gujarat, said a solitary RBG has been reported to be roosting with a flock of bar-headed goose in Nal Sarovar.

At marbled duck at the Nal Sarovar bird sanctuary.

In 2014, an RBG was sighted in Uttar Pradesh, the first sighting of the rare bird in India after around 100 years. RBG is considered the most threatened species of goosefamily globally.

Marbled teal breeds in southern Europe, northern Africa and central Asia, and winters in the Indian sub-continent, Iran, Egypt and West Africa. “Data analysis of population estimation exercise is going on and will take a few days to declare results. But these two species were sighted by teams,” said B Suchindra, conservator of forests at Gandhinagar wildlife circle, who was directing the exercise, adding, “Previously, 136 species of birds have been recorded at Nal Sarovar and 100 at Thol. But this time round, at least two new species will be added.”

Birders who volunteered as enumerators during the exercise said it was a rare opportunity for them. “A few days ago, I learnt from a fellow-birder during a bird census in Ratapani (a tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh) about the census in Nal Sarovar. The organisers obliged accepted my request to participate and I took the opportunity… I had a wonderful time. Nal Sarovar is an amazing place full of vagrants and surprising birds,” said Manjual Desai, a birder from Bengaluru.

Navin Bapat, an experienced birdwatcher from Bhuj in Kutch, said this year’s exercise was conducted in an organised and professional manner. “The assigning of zones was excellent and they took good care of volunteers.”