Flamingos in heart of Porbandar

RAJKOT: Much to the joy of Porbandar residents, the migratory guests of lesser flamingos have decided to stay back this year. The result is that the city has turned pink because of their large numbers. They would have otherwise flown away by June.
Bird watchers say that watching them at a distance of just 20 feet away and less is a delight. "There are about 5,000 lesser flamingos in the marshes of Chaya area and some of them have nested here too.It's fascinating to watch these beautiful birds. There are about five nesting sites of lesser flamingos. We have observed that flamingos sometimes do nest here but do not breed,'' said president of Birds Conservation Society of Gujarat (Porbandar chapter) Bharat Rughani.
An ardent bird watcher, Rughani said that delayed monsoon may have been one of the factors for the flamingos to stay back in large numbers. "Generally, lesser flamingos start arriving in October and leave in June. But this is July and they are here in abundance," he said.
"Porbandar is among the few places in the world where flamingos can be seen just 10 feet away. Moreover, there are a few wetlands around the city like Amipur, Gosabara, Javar, Kucchad, and Medhacreek, which are bird havens,'' said Rughani.
Bird watchers say that availability of ample sweet and saline water, insects and fish make it a favorable place for flamingos and other winged-visitors to come to the area.
Saurashtra region has so far received 27 per cent of its average annual rainfall and Porbandar taluka has just received 13.08 per cent.