Several birds give Jayakwadi a miss

AURANGABAD: Several migratory

birds

such as the Common Crane and the Osprey have given the

Jayakwadi

dam here a miss this year. Disappointed bird-lovers said that though other winged creatures from abroad have arrived, including flamingoes, their number is far less than in the previous years.

Nathsagar, the reservoir of the Jayakwadi irrigation project, which has been a popular destination for migratory birds every winter, has witnessed an almost 40% drop in the arrival of these birds this year. While nearly 10 lakh migratory birds took shelter in different fringe areas of Nathsagar last year, the number has come down to below 5 lakh now. Some inter-migratory birds from foreign countries have also avoided Jayakwadi this year, the annual bird census has revealed.

Some birds native to Europe, Western Asia and Siberia have given Jayakwadi a complete miss. The count of migratory birds from foreign countries as well as other parts of India has reduced considerably.

The bird census, which was jointly conducted by the state forest department and two non-profit organisations —

Shrusti Samvardhan Sanstha

and

Paithan Pakshi Mitra Sanghatana

— on January 29, counted birds at 12 different spots on the banks of Nathsagar. These spots included Pimpalwadi, Sonewadi, Dahegaon, Dahephal, Lakhefal, Kaygaon Toka, Brahmgavhan, Ramdoh and some other locations near the dam wall and the Godavari river.

Environmentalist Kishor Pathak of Shrusti Samvardhan Sanstha said birds from Russia and Siberia are among those that have skipped Jayakwadi this year.

According to the initial findings of the census, flamingoes that used to come by the thousands to Jayakwadi are down to barely around 450 this year. The number of barn swallows and eurasian wigeons are in the range of 50,000 to 60,000 as against a few lakhs reported last year. Only around 20,000 shoveller ducks arrived this year.

The number of plover birds has come down to merely 2,500 from nearly 15,000 last year, while the little stints are fewer by 8,000 from last year’s 10,000. Barely 750 bar-headed geese arrived at the reservoir as against a few thousands last year while the wagtails, a species native to the

Himalayas

, are also down to a few thousands as against a few lakhs earlier.

Sanjay Bhise, range forest officer for Paithan, said another survey of migratory birds at Jayakwadi will take place on February 12.

Spread over 35,000 hectares, Nathsagar houses rich flora and fauna and also serves as home to different migratory birds. The bird census is conducted in January each year.