Tagged bird migrated from Siberia to Mumbai in just five days

If you know an ornithologist (a person who studies birds) or even a professional birdwatcher, they will tell you how migratory birds are one of the most fascinating creatures ever! They relocate from one place to another seasonally, flying past thousands of miles. Isn’t that amazing?  

Recently, one such migratory bird who was originally there in Mumbai and tagged with a GPS device (in March this year), came back to Mumbai, after having stayed in Siberia for months. This a black-tailed Godwit that was traced in the colder climate of South-western Siberia in June by Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), escaped the summer months in India. Now, this winged creature is back and is currently residing in Mumbai’s Bhandup pumping station (in the eastern suburbs), after a long break.  

As per sources from BNHS, the bird named Bala (after ornithologist Dr. D Balachandran) had left the city in April and had arrived in Siberia in June, covering a whooping distance of more than 5000 kilometres across continents. And now, something unexpected has happened. The bird has not just returned after five months, but has done so by covering a distance of 4200 kilometres in just five days; surprising all experts in the field. The godwit’s return to the same place it had originated its journey from proves once again that birds’ typical habit of “side fidelity” meaning the nature to come back to the same site they are accustomed to, continues to remain.  

Currently, the entire flight pattern of Bala is being studied by a research team based in BNHS. It is part of its long-term ecological monitoring of migratory birds, that is being conducted since 2017. 

This incident has once again proved that migratory birds are the environment’s unannounced brand ambassadors and convey the important message of prevailing biodiversity around the globe. As a result, it is imperative to conserve their habitats worldwide.  

Interestingly, apart from Bala, BNHS had also deployed six GPS/GSM tags on three greater and three lesser flamingos in between January and April 2022, to study their migration in particular. Out of these six, three flamingos that had been ferried to Mumbai for the study are now back in Gujarat. 

With winter approaching, ornithologists at BNHS are now eagerly waiting for more birds to arrive.