As migratory birds enter Mumbai, enthusiasts gear up for a week-long celebration

Flamingos spotted at Bhandup last year. Pic Courtesy/Ravi Naidu

The word ‘ornithologist' often evokes the mental image of someone meticulously identifying and classifying birds by their Latin nomenclature while peering through their thick-lensed binoculars. In stark contrast to this stereotype stood Dr Salim Ali, the iconic birder and conservationist, fondly remembered today as the Birdman of India. "I am thoroughly unmoved by what name one ornithologist chooses to dub a bird that is familiar to me," the veteran ornithologist wrote in a letter to a colleague in 1956.

Bird watchers at a trail in Borivali. Pics Courtesy/Raju Kasambe

In Maharashtra, the week leading up to November 12, Ali's birth anniversary, will be observed as bird week as a hat tip to the rich legacy he leaves behind. It seems quite serendipitous that the month should coincide with the migratory period for a number of birds that make their way to the wetlands and forests of Mumbai.

Siberian stonechat; (right) Wood sandpiper

Dr Raju Kasambe, assistant director of conservation, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), where Ali spent his days studying this beloved subject, informs us that among the winter visitors will be wetland birds - lesser flamingos, redshanks, wood sandpipers and black-tailed godwits as well as terrestrial forest birds such as Siberian stonechats, greenish warblers, ashy drongos and grey wagtails. "These birds travel from Europe and North Asian countries like Russia and Mongolia and make a layover of sorts in the city. It is the perfect time for us city folk to catch a glimpse," remarks Kasambe.

A week-long celebration at BNHS will be kicked off with the Salim Ali Bird Count, a collaborative effort by birders in the state that will ultimately aim to gauge the distribution of birds in the country and help plan conservation efforts. "A major attraction this year is an exhibition of Ali's diary notes and equipment from our archives. We also plan to screen a few films shot by him during his field visits. We are hoping that this inspires people and gets them talking about ornithology. I already see young professionals increasingly turning to bird watching as a getaway from their desk jobs; I wish these numbers soar higher," shares Kishore Rithe, director, BNHS.

Bird's eye view

Join a bird watching trail for amateurs.
ON November 5; 7.30 am
AT Bhandup Pumping Station, Tata Colony, Mulund East. EMAIL eiacp@bnhs.org (for registrations)
Rack your brains at an online quiz contest based on endangered birds.
ON November 5 to November 12
EMAIL eiacp@bnhs.org (for registrations)
FREE

Catch a glimpse of wetland birds like the black-headed ibis and flamingos.
ON November 5; 4.30 pm
AT NRI Ponds, Seawoods Estate, Navi Mumbai.
CALL 9969798447
COST Rs 800

Spot terrestrial forest migrators such as kingfishers and drongos.
ON November 7; 6.45 am
AT Shilonda Trail, SGNP, Borivali East.
CALL 7738773789
COST Rs 800
FREE