2 weeks Ago By Ipsita Pati
Gurgaon:For all its avian treasures that have seen it being designated as a Ramsar site , Sultanpur National Park holds no appeal for flamingos (phoenicopterus roseus). Flocks of these pink birds instead nest at Najafgarh wetland barely 15km away, at home in its wide basin, even though the jheel does not have the same protected status at Sultanpur. Determined to draw the flamboyance towards Sultanpur, the park's management has embarked on a programme to create what it describes as a ‘flamingo haven'.
It will develop two water bodies with salty and shallow water, which flamingos prefer. "These water bodies are designed to mimic the natural habitat of flamingos to ensure that they have the right environment to thrive," said Joyti Kumar, Sultanpur park's wildlife inspector. The area chosen within the park to develop this habitat has abundant food sources and ideal nesting conditions for the species.
Flamingos feed on algae, small insects and crustaceans in shallow waters. Experts said that historically, Sultanpur was a saltwater habitat that attracted birds like flamingos and pelicans. But as the lake gradually dried up, canal water was introduced and Sultanpur became an ideal habitat for freshwater birds like ducks.
Now, hundreds of flamingos arriving from Mediterranean Europe and East Africa stop in NCR's Najafgarh jheel from May to Oct before spending their winter along India's western coast, said Pankaj Gupta, member of the Delhi Bird Society. "Flamingos go on to breed in Sambhar salt lake in Rajasthan and Gujarat's Kachchh. We've observed flamingos attempting to nest in Najafgarh in May, but uncontrolled water levels and sudden rains that flood the area have prevented successful nesting so far," he added.
The species, their distinct pink feathers and large wing spans, is classified as ‘near threatened' in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list because of little information about their population and few breeding sites world over. Officials said that creating a habitat for flamingos in Sultanpur would not just boost the park's biodiversity, but also attract more bird watchers and enthusiasts. The 350-acre Sultanpur National Park runs along the Gurgaon-Jhajjar highway and was designated a Ramsar site in 2023.
Migratory land birds spend most of their time resting and regaining energy at stopover sites such as Sultanpur in their annual winter-time journeys. It hosts around 30,000 birds in the winter, and these include waders (water-dependent birds), ducks (require slightly deeper water) and warblers (who prefer reeds). Of the resident and migratory birds that make the wetland their home, at least ten species — including sociable lapwing — are critically endangered.
Its status as a protected site means construction and other non-forest activities are barred or restricted in a 5km radius around the park..
