Flamingos yet to arrive at Seawoods wetland

Mumbai: One of the most frequented wetlands by the flamingos at Seawoods is yet to see a visit by the pink birds. Residents of Nerul claim that while Palm Beach and Karave seashore has seen a few of the winged visitors, they are still awaiting a chance to host the birds in Seawoods behind the NRI complex. Apart from Seawoods, the Sewri jetty area is also yet to see the arrival of the birds that attract a lot of avian enthusiasts.

Residents believe that while there is no conclusive reason for the absence of the flamingos, land-filling work carried out by The City and Industrial Development Corporation Of Maharashtra (CIDCO) earlier and the erected boundary wall could be one of the reasons for the change in the landing patterns of the birds.

“A boundary wall which was erected in November last year is visible from a distance. There were also land-filling activities in the lake to cover the entire water body. Flamingos do not come if there is any kind of disturbance in their habitat area,” said Sunil Agrawal, resident of NRI complex, Seawoods.

Meanwhile, bird enthusiasts also claimed that there are other birds like egrets and pintail ducks. However, the migratory birds are less in number. “Even painted stork and spoonbills birds are hardly to be seen this year, which were in large numbers in this wetland,” said Pawan Kumar Sahu, a bird enthusiast and photographer.

However, experts have stated that it is too early to come to a conclusion. “Although the earlier reclamation or boundary wall by CIDCO could be a reason, but it was also seen that the water level in the lake area was higher. Flamingos prefer shallow water for their habitat and feeding activities,” said Isaac Kehimkar, director, iNaturewatch Foundation.

Experts at Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) claimed that because of the over all delay in flamingos’ arrival, there could be a delay in the arrival of pink birds in larger numbers. “The flamingos are certainly less in number this year. There was a good amount of rainfall in Kutch, Gujrat due to which the flamingos might be finding the marshy lands there suitable for their habitat and feeding purpose. They should be here by next month,” said Deepak Apte, Director, BNHS.