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Flooded Wetlands Disrupt Maharashtra's Migratory Bird Census
3 Nov
Summary
- Widespread water across Maharashtra's wetlands has scattered migratory birds
- Researchers postpone annual waterbird survey due to lack of bird sightings
- Excess rainfall may delay arrivals and affect upcoming bird census
As of 2025-11-03T06:22:12+00:00, Maharashtra is experiencing one of its wettest monsoons in recent years, leaving the state's waterbodies filled to the brim. This abundance of water has posed an unusual challenge for the upcoming migratory bird census.
Typically, flocks of migratory birds tend to cluster around a handful of wetlands during drier seasons. However, the widespread water this year has caused the birds to disperse far and wide across multiple smaller habitats. Researchers say this dispersal is likely to reduce sightings, complicate surveys, and delay key studies that monitor bird populations and migration trends.
The Wildlife Research and Conservation Society (WRCS) had planned to begin a waterbird survey and research on water quality and habitat conservation on November 1, 2025. But they have not observed many birds at the Ujani Reservoir so far, and have now postponed the survey to December. Jayant Kulkarni, the head of WRCS, cites the excess water across several inland bodies as the reason for the birds likely dispersing and halting elsewhere.
Some meteorologists believe that active weather systems, including a depression over the east-central Arabian Sea, Cyclone Montha, and local low-pressure zones, may have contributed to delayed arrivals. However, Girish Jathar, the executive director of the Srushti Conservation Foundation (SCF), disagrees, stating that observations from their projects in Maharashtra and Gujarat show a good number of migratory birds have already reached Gujarat, with some sightings in Maharashtra as well. Jathar believes the excess water is causing the birds to disperse across smaller habitats, which could affect overall counts, but a clearer picture will emerge in December.
Manoj Barbole, the range forest officer of the Pune Forest Division, also confirms that the excess rainfall has significantly impacted migratory birds. He states that the prolonged wet conditions may delay arrivals and cause populations to scatter, affecting the upcoming bird census and related studies.
