Pune: The migratory birds may delay their visit to areas around the city due to extended rainfall. The experts stated that the birds get impacted by changes in the rain pattern. These winter migrants have major population of water birds like ducks, sandpipers, cranes, flamingos, etc. which visit India mainly from Europe, Siberia and the Himalayas every year. 

Dharmaraj Patil, biodiversity expert and director of NGO Jeevitnadi, while speaking with Sakal Times, said that migratory birds get impacted due to changes in rain patterns. “The group of waterbirds like sandpipers, snipes, plovers, stilts, etc. are called waders. They feed on the banks of wetlands which have mudflats. These areas nurture various invertebrates which are the main food for waders. The ducks are deep feeders, while flamingos are shallow-water feeders. For all these birds, the water level in any wetland matters the most which are decided by the amount of rainfall,” said Patil. 

“If the water level is high, there will be a delay in the arrival of these migrants as food will not be available for them,” said Patil.

Patil added that these migrants are from the temperate region and so are not designed to sustain heavy rainfall. 

“The rain in odd season also obstructs routes of migration. There are various types of warblers and flycatchers which are smaller than sparrows and cover a distance of thousands of kilometres to reach wintering ground. These birds face the risk of odd rains more because of their vulnerability due to smaller size,” added Patil.

Sharing similar views, Umesh Vaghela, city-based ornithologist and President of NGO Alive said that due to extended rains, migratory birds will be sighted late or in the areas where there are more mushy lands.

“Due to heavy rainfall this year, the mud lands are still flooded with water. There are chances that these birds might find other places where the rainfall was comparatively less than other regions. In that case, nearby mushy lands will invite the migratory birds,” said Vaghela.