Rare birds flock in due to nippy air

MUMBAI: The unusual chill in the city made winter birds more visible at the Mumbai Bird Race event held on Sunday in which more than 350 bird-watchers participated. The organisers were in the process of finalising bird sightings until late Sunday evening.
One of the event organizers, Pravin Subramanian said that the Verditer Flycatcher and Ultramarine Flycatcher, known to frequent during winters, were repeatedly spotted at Tungareshwar. “This is because of the unusual weather. This is the coldest February in the last 10 years,” said Subramanian. “Also, the Rusty Tailed Flycatcher was seen sporadically at Tungareshwar today. This bird, which frequents cold places, points to changing weather patterns and their impact on birds and other wildlife.”

He said this is a bit unusual on the first day of spring, Vasant Panchami, which was observed on Sunday.

The specialised fish hunter, Osprey bird, also an uncommon winter visitor, and greater and lesser flamingos were seen along the wetlands at Sewree, Thane creek and in Navi Mumbai and Uran.

However, the chill in the air kept regular birds like sparrows and mynahs less active than what they are usually.

The organisers noted that the frequency at which baya weavers were seen has lessened in the last few years due to “aggressive” construction.

Naturalist Sunjoy Monga, who is among the main organisers of the BirdRaces, said: “In the evening, when all bird-watchers gathered at Powai to discuss and exchange notes, we urged the state government to create bird parks in various bird-rich areas to preserve and protect birds and the surrounding biodiversity.”

Kartik Chandramouli, who also participated in the bird race along with students of Royal College, Mira Road, saidm “We spotted a shikra hunt and a Jerdon’s leafbird feeding on bright orange flowers.”