Winged visitors start flocking at Agra, choose new camp

By Brij Khandelwal

Agra, Oct 4 (SocialNews.XYZ) Winter is still a few weeks away but migratory birds have started flocking here, perhaps to join the wildlife week celebrations!

A flock of flamingoes on Sunday arrived in Jodhpur Jhaal, a lake-cum-wetland site on the border of the Agra district. This is considered unusual, both because it is a bit early and also it is a new site that the migratory birds have chosen as their temporary habitat.

"The temperature is still pretty high and winter is still some weeks away but the birds from distant lands have already started their journey. This could be due to improvement in environmental conditions thanks to Covid-19 and partly due to better conservational efforts in recent years," bird specialist K.P. Singh told IANS.

Singh said two species of flamingoes have been seen along with other winged visitors. The Jodhpur Jhaal area is home to around 125 different species of birds.

These migratory birds usually descend on the famous Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur district or the Soor Sarovar bird sanctuary in Agra along the Yamuna.

This is the first time that migratory birds including flamingoes have been sighted in Jodhpur Jhaal area, said forest guards. This wetland is a mid-way between Bharatpur and Agra sanctuary.

Environmentalist Devashish Bhattacharya said: "Plenty of fresh water due to good rains, and rich feed have attracted the birds. The Soor Sarovar water is full of industrial effluents and toxic substances that flow down the Agra Canal which runs from Okhla through the industrial clusters of Faridabad, Ballabhgarh, Palwal, to Agra.

"All the garbage and waste was being dumped into the Agra Canal. The water is contaminated and is a threat to the aquatic life. This is the reason why the Keitham lake is not attracting migratory birds this year."

K.P. Singh said the flamingoes migrate mostly from Gujarat and Maharashtra to the north, during the winter months.

Addressing volunteers of the Biodiversity Research and Development Society on the occasion of the World Animal Day as part of the wildlife week, Singh said: "There was a possibility of increase in the number and species of migratory birds this year as a result of better environmental conditions and sustained conservational efforts."

The rural youths taken on a round were surprised to see a large number of aquatic birds like flamingoes, pintails, common coots, knob ducks, spoon-billed ducks, lesser whistling ducks, and the Northern shoveler.

Earlier local poachers hunted birds in the area but efforts to raise the awareness level had yielded good results.

Singh said that the wildlife is under threat from poachers. Until the locals are sensitised and without conservational efforts, wildlife would not succeed, he added.

Source: IANS