Sirpur lake blushes, as greater flamingos make a rare appearance in the city

Sirpur lake on the outskirts of Indore has been blushing pink lately – a rare blush, that is staying longer than usual. And the reason behind this, is the unusual visit of greater flamingos to the city. The phenomenon is rare, and one that hasn’t happened in many years. News has spread across the city’s community of birders and naturalists, as they are all rushing to witness the spectacle of the magnificent birds walking on their dainty feet in the mudflats.

In the midst of all the excitement, some crucial questions came to the fore. This is not migratory season, so what are the birds doing so far away from their regular habitat? Is this just a visit, or are the birds looking for a permanent residence along the mudflats of Malwa ? And most importantly, is this due to climate change? Here’s what the city’s birders and experts have to say.

Migration or not?

The greater flamingos are usually found in the brackish, saline mudflats of the Indian subcontinent, Africa and Middle East. Typically, their migration is local, as they feed only in shallow coastal lagoons and the season ranges from November to April. This season – June to August end – is their breeding season. “It is a rare phenomenon to witness their presence in Indore in a non-migratory season. Generally they are in their usual habitat at Kutch, Sambhar lake Rajasthan and Mumbai, during this time,” says ornithologist and conservationist, Ajay Gadikar. And whether this is a search for a new habitat, is yet to be seen. “It looks like a stopover right now. They thrive only in saline water where they find algae, which is essential for their pink colouration and health. I think they are just taking a break on a longer journey,” opines Ravi Sharma, wildlife activist and birder. “If at all the birds stay longer than 15 days, then we may consider the change in habitation angle,” he adds.

Sirpur providing abundance of food for the flamingos

As birders, wildlife photographers and citizens are flocking to Sirpur lake in large numbers, there is one thing that they are all noticing – the birds haven’t stopped eating ever since they landed. “They landed on Sunday, eight birds in total. And ate continuously on the first two days, they ate like they haven’t eaten in days,” says birder Neel Gadikar, sharing his observation. “Clearly there is availability of food and the water quality is optimum for the flamingos at the lake. Some years ago, we had spotted only a couple of these birds at Yeshwant sagar. But this time, it is a better number,” he adds. The attractive birds are actually filter feeders. They stand in shallow water, stir up the mud while dipping their heads into it. Then they hold up their heads to filter out small shrimps, microorganisms, blue-green algae, etc, which is their food. “Over the years, maybe due to depositions or pollution, the water in the lake has turned brackish, which suits these birds. And their continuous feeding over these days indicates that they had been searching for their type of food. But their unusual migration for food raises a question. Is their traditional habitat not providing them enough food? We should seriously take this phenomenon into consideration to see if wetlands in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra are in bad shape,” explains Ajay.

The flock has been attracting Indoreans’ attention

Ever since word travelled about the arrival of the blush feathered friends, Indoreans have been flocking to the lake to see them in person. “We have travelled to Rajasthan bird sanctuary and Odisha to see these lovely birds. Had never imagined we will be able to see them in a good number in our hometown,” says Akansha Joshi, an engineering student, who went to see them with her friends on Tuesday, after getting to know of their arrival from social media. It has also drawn out amateur and wildlife photographers in large numbers, to capture the magnificent colouring and activities of the flamingos. Avi Jain, a civil engineer with a passion for wildlife photography, states, “I got to know about them only by Monday after the word travelled, and since then, I have visited twice with my friends and alone, to capture the birds at their candid best. Now that social media has been filling up with their pictures and news has travelled across the city, more people are visiting to see them. It is, after all, quite a rare occurring in Indore,” he concludes.

Alarm bells for climate change?

While residents have been having a gala time spotting the greater flamingos in their unusual habitat, experts insist on looking beneath the surface. “Birds and animals are always the first ones to know about any change in climate. Such unusual behaviour, has historically been indicative of climate change. It may be considered both positive and negative. Positive because our pastures are greener, but negative that their once natural habitat, is probably not providing them enough,” says conservationist Ajay Gadikar. However, he added that conclusive data can only be obtained by doing a larger and in-depth survey of the factors.

Pics: Avi Jain