Thane Creek part of study on flamingoes

Maharashtra's first flamingo sanctuary, Thane Creek has been finalised for a study on affects of pollution on the wading birds to be carried out by the Gujarat Institute of Desert Ecology. Announced in December last year, the study is expected to be completed in a year.

"A pollution-related impact study on flamingoes hasn't been conducted so far," N Vasudevan, chief conservator of forests of the state forest department's mangrove cell said.

Pink visitors, which include both Lesser Flamingo and Greater Flamingo arrive at Thane Creek and Sewri Mudflats in Mumbai by November and fly to the Rann of Kutch, Gujarat at the onset of the monsoons. Their appearance was first recorded in Mumbai in the mid-1990s. "We will study the impact on their breeding, feeding (patterns) and behaviour when they return to Kutch once monsoon sets it. Satellite tagging will help identify their migration routes," said Vasudevan.

The study will be conducted in Mumbai and Kutch. The proposal, to be funded by Maharashtra's Mangrove and Marine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, is in its final stages. Observations from previous studies and tagging of flamingos done by the Bombay Natural History Society will also be considered in this exercise.