Migratory birds stay back in Porbandar

AHMEDABAD: Winged visitors that throng the state during winter have made Porbander - the birth place of Mahatma Gandhi their permanent home. Atleast six different species of birds including lesser and greater flamingos have begun nesting in Gosabara and other lakes in Porbander and its periphery.
Bharat Rughani, a wildlife activist and president of Bird Conservator Society (Porbandar) says: “This is the first time that the birds have stayed back in Porbandar.This is unprecedented, even the local species which come to the lake during the winter would fly back by March-end or April. But, this this time they have stayed back.”
According to Rughani there are over four lakh birds which have stayed back this year in Porbandar in various water bodies and even check dams. “At these dam sites water levels are low due to inadequate rainfall last year and hence the conditions were favourable for the birds. Apart from the Indian duck one can find some pelicans and flamingos. These ducks too used to be spotted only during the winter,” he said.
Experts believe that Porbandar might be conducive for the birds and also the low water levels are proving to be be adequate enough for them to survive. Forest officials pointed out that this year in Nalsarovar too birds were seen till mid May. The officials said that this year due to inadequate rains only three to four feet of water is left in the dams. Such low water levels are preferred by the migratory birds like Slender Billed gull, among other variety of gulls.
A forest official, refusing to be quoted, said that the department has already readied a proposal to declare Gosabara as a sanctuary. He added that the department is waiting for the final approval from the government. “However, some senior forest officials are yet to clear the proposal and hence the entire proposal of declaring it as a sanctuary has gone in the cold storage.