Bombay Natural History Society develops technique to trace migratory bird movements

BNHS has been monitoring the migratory birds visiting Thane Bay since 2017, which comprise over 150 different varieties of birds. They aim to understand the habitat use and migration patterns of these birds for further research that may be beneficial in striking a human-nature balance.

Mumbai:The Bombay Natural History Society has come up with and nearly executed a technique to track the whereabouts of Flamingos who migrate in and out of Mumbai in large numbers every winter. Speaking to ETV Bharat, Rahul Khot, the Deputy Director of BNHS, informed that they have tried and successfully tested the tracking technique with over 6 flamingos.

Shedding more light on the technicalities of this technique, Khot said that a special type of small device is attached to the neck or back or leg of the flamingo, which continuously tracks its locations with the help of satellite and radio waves. "So far we have been able to trace all 6 of the flamingos, 2 of which can be traced to their precise locations in Gujarat even from a distance of 500 to 600 kms," Khot told ETV Bharat.

BNHS has been monitoring the migratory birds visiting Thane Bay since 2017, which comprise over 150 different varieties of birds. They aim to understand the habitat use and migration patterns of these birds for further research that may be beneficial in striking a human-nature balance. The researchers involved in the practice have already put bird rings and colored flags at locations around Thane Bay where this migration is most rampant.

"With around two and a half lakh flamingos migrating in and out of Mumbai every winter, we think this technology can be greatly beneficial for any kind of research on these birds," Khot said.