Lesser flamingoes flock to Khadir island

Khadir island, located in midst of the Great Rann of Kutch and north-east of here, boasts of a 5,000-year-old Indus civilisation site at its Dholavira village. But these days, it also has an avian attraction: a large number of beautiful lesser flamingoes, camping in the rain-water filled vast area of the Rann, behind Henota island near Amarapar, one of the 10 villages of Khadir island.

"You virtually find a white and pink coloured strip of these long-legged and long-necked birds in the area. Vehicles passing through Shirani vandh (hamlet) stop to watch this avian beauty, which is very soothing to eyes," Ramji Meria, a local resident, said.

"They are adult lesser flamingoes having come here from the state coast in search of food, which is available in abundance in the salty land of the Rann. The combination of rain water with salty water produces food in the form of insects and algae," Raiysinhji Rathod, wildlife warden, told DNA.

He said that migratory birds, Greater flamingoes, would come from distant land in their lakhs to nest and breed in their natural and peaceful breeding ground, the Great Rann of Kutch, in October if there was enough water and food available there. He said the birds now in the Khadir island must be those who could not fly back with their parents last year because of their late breeding. He said the Great Rann once had half-a-million flamingoes.