As regular CFZ-watchers will know, for some time Corinna has been doing a column for Animals & Men and a regular segment on On The Track... particularly about out-of-place birds and rare vagrants. There seem to be more and more bird stories from all over the world hitting the news these days so, to make room for them all - and to give them all equal and worthy coverage - she has set up this new blog to cover all things feathery and Fortean.

Monday, 18 December 2017

The Great Bittern Reveals Itself To Mumbai After 79 Years


Nov 29, 2017, 16:24 IST | Ranjeet Jadhav

Last Spotted In Vile Parle In 1939, Migratory Bird Makes Itself Cozy In Vasai Birding Hotspot

The Great Bittern is a wading, partially migratory bird that is distributed in the Indian subcontinent, Europe, Asia and Africa. While its population stands at around three lakh, the species, experts said, hadn't been seen making pit stops to the city. However, on November 26, birder Akshay Shinde, happened to accidentally spot it during a birding trip with other wildlife enthusiasts. "We were at a birding hotspot called Madhuban in Vasai, when I saw two large birds fly parallel to us. The adult bird kept flying in a straight direction, while the juvenile took a halt. That's when I took pictur­es of the bird," said the zoology graduate, who is currently pursuing his MSc in wildlife from Bhartiya Vidyapeeth Bhavan's College.

Shinde got in touch with bird expert and wildlife photographer Monga, who confirmed it was a Great Bittern. "I also posted the pictures on several birding groups to verify the same. The bird was last spotted 79 years ago," he said.

Monga said, "More sightings of rare bird species in the city, indicates that there are habitats in the region that are pristine enough to support migratory birds."

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