Birds double at Okhla reserve, reveals Asian Waterbird Census

Of the 63 species spotted during the census, 27 were of resident water birds and 36 of winter migratory water birds such as the northern lapwing and the common shelduck.

Written by Aniruddha Ghosal | New Delhi | Published: January 7, 2018 1:11 am

An almost twofold increase in the number of birds spotted, nine threatened species managing to thrive, and two rare ones finding home at the Okhla Bird Sanctuary marked the first day of the Asian Waterbird Census, which began in the capital Saturday.

T K Roy, ecologist and AWC state coordinator, said the census is carried out at important wetlands across the country to help identify and protect new sites for birds.

“There has been an increase in water bird species diversity. A total of 11,622 birds were spotted across 63 species. This is in comparison to 53 species and 6,183 total birds in 2017. In 2016, this was even less — 46 species and 3,113 birds,” he said.

The 2018 census for Delhi region will be carried out at six important wetlands — Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Surajpur Wetland, Najafgarh Drain & Jheel, River Yamuna, Sanjay Lake and the National Zoological Park. “The Okhla Bird Sanctuary is a unique urban wetland, where water birds are found in the heart of Delhi-NCR. The 2018 census is being carried out by the Wetlands International South Asia in collaboration with the Gautam Budh Nagar Forest department and volunteers from different universities,” he said.

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Rare treat for birdwatchers: a snake bird nesting colony

Darpan Singh, Hindustan Times New Delhi, August 28, 2014

Birdwatchers in Delhi are chirping with delight at the rare sight of an oriental darter nesting colony at the Okhla Sanctuary, the first time the bird has built a colony in this part of Asia, say experts.

The darter, also called the snake bird because of its long snake-like neck that is the only visible part of its body when it swims underwater, has been sighted in Delhi earlier, but a nesting colony is unusual.

"It has never happened before. So far, 14 of these birds have been seen at the sanctuary," said ecologist TK Roy. "While there is a decline in bird diversity and population, spotting of threatened bird species is a pleasant surprise."

The 400-hectare sanctuary on the Delhi-Noida border has a large lake - created by the construction of a barrage over the Yamuna river - which serves as a bird habitat, with 330 species recorded so far.

The darter presents a fascinating sight when it spears a fish and tosses it in the air before swallowing it. The bird, one among 173 listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as threatened bird species in the Indian sub-continent, is also one of two existing darter species in Asia.

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