Mumbai: The onset of winter has brought much-needed respite from soaring temperatures, but the flock of pink visitors that visit the city annually has not made an appearance yet. Every year, flamingos fly to Mumbai from Kutch, Gujarat in large number by mid-November. Bird enthusiasts who visited the Sewri mudflats, a famous flamingo habitat, were disappointed to find the site vacant.
“Lesser flamingos, which are relatively smaller and have a pinker hue than other flamingos, are seen in the Sewri mudflat around the end of November. They gather at the pond near mudflats, but this time it was vacant. Last month, a few greater flamingos were seen in Sewri, but they are in Mumbai throughout the year,” said Pradip Patade, a marine photographer and expert.
Lesser flamingos fly over 600km to Mumbai from Kutch during winter and congregate in Sewri-Mahul mudflats, Mulund, Seawoods and Bhandup, among other areas.
Experts have suggested that the Cyclone Ockhi must have also contributed to the delay as the Kutch region recently received good amount of rainfall due to it, making it favourable for the birds to stay there. The birds feed on plants and animals in shallow waters. “Flamingos prefer staying on marshy lands with dipping temperatures. Moreover, the wind currents due to Ockhi will also leave them mid-ocean. The wetland in Kutch must be providing favourable conditions and feeding ground for the birds to stay,” said Anand Pendharkar, President of NGO Sprouts.
The number of flamingos in Mumbai has significantly increased, according to environmentalists. The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) recorded 49,000 flamingos in the city in its last count. “Ockhi could have contributed to their delay to some extent. I will wait till the end of December, if they still do not arrive then it is a matter of concern,” said Deepak Apte, Director, BNHS.
