Flamingos in freshwater? Yes, it's a Vidharba spectacle

In what is a rare instance, a large number of flamingos have been sighted in freshwater bodies in Yavatmal district in Vidharba. These birds are otherwise found in coastal areas or in places that have brackish water bodies.

Experts say that these migratory birds may be flying into the region because of drought in vast tracts of Maharashtra, which has led to depleted water levels in the water bodies usually frequented by them.

"Flamingos are found in brackish water, particularly in coastal areas," said Ramzan Virani, a wildlife researcher and faculty member in the department of zoology at SM College in Pandharkawada, Yavatmal, who sighted 32 birds, including four sub-adults, at a dam near the Tipeshwar wildlife sanctuary.

"There are rare records of them being sighted in Vidharba," he added, saying that Washim district, which has saline water bodies, was one such place.

Virani said that last year, he had seen around 18 birds at the dam, but the size of the flock increased this year. "We checked the water samples to check if its properties had altered, thus attracting these birds," he added, saying that the report had suggested that the total dissolved salts in the water had increased, but this was due to evaporation of water in the dam.

"We studied citations and research papers. During the breeding season, the flamingos eat a particular type of algae. So, these algae may be present in that particular water body," reasoned Virani, adding that they had taken water samples for testing.

"This is not a (mere) migration stopover. They may be exploring the water body for the algae," he said. He also said that these birds were expected to be in the water body for around one and a half months.