Here come the birds

Flamingos are fascinating birds. First, they are vibrant pink in colour because of their carotenoid-rich diet; the carotene settles in pigments, giving them the unique colour. Second, they feed milk to their younglings as the younglings are unable to eat their regular blue-green algae due to a poorly developed beak. Only as the bird grows older, does the beak change its shape, resulting in the flamingo’s ability to bury its head into the soil to consume regular food. Finally, flamingos are unpredictable. Naturalists cannot determine when they come to a particular area to breed, when they fly away or even whether they arrive towards the shore or go towards the sea for their food.

So, when Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) organised a morning event to spot the flamingos at Sewri, we knew we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to see the birds. “When I surveyed the area on January 15, I saw 16,000–20,000 birds. The numbers appear to be the same on January 16,” said Asif Khan, an associate programme officer at BNHS.

The late arrival
This year, the flamingos came late to Mumbai. Contrary to popular belief, they do not come from Siberia, but from the Rann of Kutch, here in India. Normally, the birds are in Mumbai by November when there isn’t much food in the Rann. “This year, Kutch received subsequent rainfall, which resulted in the birds staying there for a longer period. They finally arrived here in the middle of December,” explained Khan.

Sometimes, more is less
There are two main species of flamingos that are seen across Mumbai: the Greater Flamingo and the Lesser Flamingo; the latter is more commonly seen. While it is difficult to distinguish between the two birds if one sees them individually, experts say that the Lesser Flamingo has a lighter shade of pink, while the Greater Flamingo has an S-shaped neck.
Globally, there are 1.5–2 million Greater Flamingos and around 75,000 Lesser Flamingos. And interestingly, the Greater Flamingo is endangered while the Lesser Flamingo is not. “The reason for this is simple,” explained Khan, “While the Lesser Flamingos are fewer in number, there are still several breeding grounds available for them. However, the Greater Flamingo has four breeding grounds, namely The Rann of Kutch, South Africa, Kenya and Tanzania. These grounds may soon be taken over by humans for development, which is the primary cause of the dwindling numbers.”

Far and wide
The birds are also sighted at other feeding grounds in Tamil Nadu and Odisha. They normally feed off algae found in alkaline lakes, which are water bodies with high concentration of salts such as the Chilika Lake in Odisha. Khan explained that although the birds can survive in such high alkaline conditions, it can be fatal if the egg falls into the water because the high concentration can dissolve the egg alive. “The flamingos take extra care while laying their eggs on the mud piles of the lake,” he said.

It’s not just about the flamingos
Along with the flamingos, we even spotted waders such as the Curlew Sandpiper, Little Stints and Sand Plovers. Although the birds look similar when seen from a distance, when we saw them up close through the binoculars, it was easy to distinguish them. The Sand Plovers have big eyes that help them look around for prey. As soon as they spot them, the birds rush towards the prey and catch it. Little Stints have larger beaks and they peck into the mud piles much like woodpeckers peck on wood. This helps them eat smaller plants and insects. On the other hand, the Curlew Sandpipers pick up food on sight.