At least three notable sightings of migratory birds that are not typically seen in the Delhi and its surrounding areas have been recorded at Chandu Budhera in Gurugram, according to Kavi Nanda, an avid birder. The birds seen at the village include a bar-tailed godwit, a common ringed plover, and a red-necked phalarope, all coastal birds rarely seen in the hinterland.
These species are passage migrants. They use the Central Asian flyway to reach parts of coastal, peninsular India every winter, flying in from Siberia. It’s very likely that they were thrown off course by rough weather, and have taken refuge in Delhi-NCR before carrying on their journey.
On the other hand, the common ringed plover and the red-necked phalarope were spotted within a day of each other on the morning of September 22 and 23.
Nikhil Devasar, of the Delhi Bird Foundation, said the common ringed plover’s sighting is notable, as the bird was last seen in Delhi in 1969.
“Chandu Budhera is one of the last hot spots for birding in NCR. Others, like Basai and Najafgarh, have been increasingly advanced and there is a lot of disruption due to construction work. Chandu has a variety of microhabitats from shallow waters to reeds and marshy land which can safely maintain several species, and perhaps why many passage migrants are being spotted there,” said Devasar.
