By Simarjeet Chadha, Environmenalist
Nature, at times, gives us an opportunity to view its beautiful creations inspite of all the odds. Human beings have left no stone unturned to create disturbance for the wild. Nevertheless, nature, as it is meant to be, always generous, gives us in different forms.
A few migratory birds that are not usually seen in Delhi and its surrounding areas were recently sighted by Birders. It is like a windfall gain for Delhites to welcome avian visitors that are normally not visible in and around the place.
Chandu Budhera is a village in Gurgaon in the state of Haryana, where these unexpected avian visitors were seen. The Indian Skimmer, Ruddy Turnstone, Red necked Pharalope and the Bar tailed Godwit.
The skimmer is usually found on coastal wetlands, lowland rivers, marshes, swamps. The skimmer has a distinctive long, thick, bright orange bill with a yellow tip.
They forage for food by flying low over water with their bills open. They are sociable birds who nest in colonies and roost in flocks on sand banks.
The ruddy turnstone is a fairly small and stocky bird. The legs are fairly short and are bright orange in colour. It has a varied diet including eggs, fish, and plant material nut it mainly feeds on invertebrates.
It often flips over stones and other objects to get at prey items hiding underneath, hence the name turnstone. Red necked pharalope is a small dainty shorebird that sits high on the water with a slender neck and very thin sharp bill. They spend most of the time in water but can also run on land.
The females are brighter than the males. The male looks after the eggs and the young. The Bar tailed Godwit is a long billed, long legged wading bird. It is mostly seen in grey-brown winter plumage. They are carnivores and mostly eat insects, crustaceans and mollusks.
They also feed on parts of acquatic plants, seeds and berries occasionally. Study reveals that these species are passage migrants which means that they pass from here while on their migration route. They use the Central Asian Flyway to reach parts of coastal, peninsular India every winter flying from Siberia.
So what could have got them here. It is very likely that these birds were thrown off course by rough weather, and so have taken refuge in Delhi-NCR before continuing their onward journey.
Chandu Budhera is one of the hot spots for birding in NCR. Others, like the Basai and Najafgarh have been increasingly encroached. Also, there is a lot of disturbance due to the ongoing construction work.
Dhanauri Wetland, in western Uttar Pradesh, has been one of the most sought after birding site where a number of migratory birds and the resident sarus crane can be seen.
But unfortunately, now fewer migratory birds can be seen here due to the unavailability of landing space caused by overgrowth of hyacinths.
In summers, the water in the wetland dries. So, until proper care and attention is given, the number of birds is soon dwindling.
The Basai wetland in Gurgaon too, seems to have a similar fate. It is considered as a waste land and attracts the authorities as a place for urbanization.
But in reality, the wetland supports a high diversity of birds. It is also an important habitat for migratory birds.
The wetland also plays a significant role in storing rainwater, while preventing floods in the city. The wetland soil absorbs the water fast thereby recharging the ground water.
Such is the state of our wetlands in and around Delhi. Chandu, until now, has not suffered the brunt of human intervention and disturbance. So one can expect a larger species of birds to find it a favorable habitat. We can sincerely hope that these bird habitats are taken care of and human intervention in such areas minimized.
