Threatened, near-threatened birds flock to Udaipur's Menar wetland

A small village, less than 50 km off Udaipur, has emerged as a biodiversity hotspot with sightings of several threatened and near-threatened bird species over the last few years.

- Jayashree Nandi

MENAR: In Rajasthan, a small village, less than 50 km off Udaipur, has emerged as a biodiversity hotspot with sightings of several threatened and near-threatened bird species over the last few years. These sightings and community-driven conservation efforts have bestowed Menar with the moniker of "bird village".

Two wetlands — large and deep Brahma and small and shallow Dhandh — along with a host of ponds constitute the Menar wetland complex, providing habitat to nearly 200 species of birds every winter.

A bird census earlier this year, conducted by the Bombay Natural History Society and the state's forest department, revealed presence of several species of vultures and a large number of resident and migratory wetland birds around the grasslands of the hamlet.

Recent sightings include species such as cinereous vulture, long-billed vulture, Himalayan griffon vulture and Egyptian vulture in the grasslands, besides Asian wooly-necked stork, ferruginous pochard, Dalmatian pelican, and black-tailed godwit in the wetlands.

Villagers conserving these wetlands for generations as a "common" resource for their livestock and water requirements during the dry season, have only recently realised that the hundreds of birds that are spotted in these wetlands, perched on balconies and temple tops, are in fact threatened species.

"We conducted a bird census in Menar along with the forest department. All wetlands in India fall in the Central Asian Flyway. Menar also plays a very important role because of its strategic location in southern part of Rajasthan. It's important to understand why so many birds are visiting that area," Sujit Narwade, deputy director, Bombay Natural History Society, said.

He emphasised the key role the "very supportive" local community plays in ensuring the birds are safe.