Gujarat: Another Flamingo City in the Making?

AHMEDABAD: In 1945, India’s best known bird-man Salim Ali had given a flamingo breeding site in the Kutch National Wildlife Sanctuary the name of ‘Flamingo City’ after he spotted a large congregation of lesser and greater flamingos here. Over seven and half decades later, the state forest department and ornithologists are ecstatic after an unprecedented more than one lakh birds are nesting en masse some 35-km away from the Flamingo City!
It is a sight to behold, as thousands of birds nesting in rectangles dug up to lay eggs, paint the canvas of water with strokes of baby pink and white colour. It is a sign of mother nature blooming as humanity took a step back following Covid pandemic.

Interestingly, this largest congregation of nests is over and above some 60,000 nests in the Flamingo City. If all goes well, ornithologists say the area would witness the birth of nearly four lakh lesser and greater flamingo birds. So far, the highest birth recorded is of 1.5 lakh chicks in a season.

Gujarat forest department officials said the new site is about 35 km from Flamingo City and merely 30 km from the Pakistan border. Principal chief conservator of forest (PCCF) Shyamal Tikadar said the site has been put under surveillance.
“Nearly one lakh nests are reported at the site which is located in the area with highly restricted movement. Entry here is facilitated only with permission from the Border Security Force (BSF),” he said.
The reason why birds in such huge numbers have made their nests in and around the city to breed, raise and ready their young ones has the experts guessing.
“I have visited Flamingo City annually since 2009. This is the first time the region is brimming with birds–majority are lesser flamingos while the number of greater flamingos is less,” said Uday Vora, a former forest officer.
‘4L flamingo chicks expected this year’
U day Vora, a former forest officer said that some 2 lakh chicks will be born at the new site while 1.2 lakh chicks are expected to be born at Flamingo City.
“There are thousands of birds scattered around the area which use the existing nests as a hotel. Once vacated, these nests will witness a second round of breeding. Nearly 4 lakh birds are expected to be born this year,” said Vora. Ornithologists said heavy rains in Saurashtra may have prompted birds to come to Kutch which has the best suitable water level.
“Incubation period of eggs is between 27 and 31 days. Both the male and female take turns incubating the egg by sitting on top of the nest mound. During incubation, flamingos will stand, stretch their wings, and preen themselves frequently”, the expert explained.

Source: ToI