Gurgaon: Fewer migratory birds spotted in Sultanpur this year

Fewer species of migratory birds chose to nest at the Sultanpur National Park this winter as compared to the last season, but they flocked to the wetland in double the number, shows the bird-count data provided by the wildlife department on its website.

This year, 81 migratory bird species visited the park against 98 during the same period last year. A total of 183 species of birds, including 102 residential birds, were spotted in the park on bird counting day, which was January 30. The report was compiled on Wednesday.

Though the species count was less, a total of 55,377 migratory and domestic birds flocked to Sultanpur National Park this season, a number almost double of last year’s 28,000, the wildlife department officials said.

The migratory bird species that were sighted in the park this year include white-tailed lapwing, green sandpiper, northern shoveler, northern pintail, mallard, Eurasian wigeon, common pochard and ferruginous duck, among many other species.

Some of the resident birds that were sighted on the bird counting day were white-throated kingfisher, red munia and black-winged stilt, among others.

The bird counting process is an annual feature that aims to gather data on bird species and their number in the park every year. Data about the movement of bird species, food and space were collected. This data will be analysed for better management of the park.

“Every year we conduct bird counting in the park to note the number of birds and the species that visit the area. This exercise helps us understand the pattern of migration and the ecology of the park,” Vinod Kumar, conservator of wildlife, South Haryana, said.

Ram Kumar, field assistant with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), an NGO involved in nature conservation research, said, “Migration is a complex process and analysis about it can only be conducted over a period of time. As migratory birds fly out from their locations, the climatic condition and availability of food in their country of origin plays an important role in deciding where they would flock.”

Every year, the park witnesses a large number of migratory birds from various parts of the world. This process starts in month of October and continues till February end.