With onset of summer, migratory birds return home from Khinchan

With the onset of summer, thousands of migratory birds have begun to leave for their native places from Khinchan, a village located in Phalodi tehsil of Jodhpur district. At present, only about 1,200 demoiselle cranes, locally called kurjaa, have been left at Khinchan.

More than 50 species of migratory birds visit Khinchan every year during winter, but kurjaa visit the place in large numbers. “This time during the winter season, nearly 17,000 kurjaa stayed in the month of February. In the last 10 days, about 16,000 kurjaa have returned to their homes. Now, the last swarm of birds is left,” said Sewaram Mali, a bird watcher.

Migratory birds such as pelican, Indian roller, Eurasian roller, wooly-necked stork, kingfisher, green bee-eater, black ibis, swallow and swiftlet cormorants visit Khinchan in the winter season.

Mali said that all migratory birds except kurjaa have already left. There are around 1,200 kurjaa left behind, he added.

Kurjaa usually arrive in Jodhpur in the first week of September and begin to leave by the last week of March.

Wildlife expert Dr Hem Singh Gehlot said every year about 100 species of migratory birds fly into India, either in search of food or to escape severe winter of their native habitat. In Indian subcontinent, the majority of migratory birds are winter migrants.

About demoiselle: The demoiselle is the smallest species of crane. It is 85–100 cm long, 76 cm tall and has a 155–180 cm wingspan. It weighs 2–3 kg. Khinchan is the world famous wintering ground for demoiselle crane near Phalodi town of Jodhpur district. These birds are frequently sighted in and outside Khinchan village, and the salty area of Malar Ran and Bap Ran in Phalodi tehsil.