Have Flamingos skipped the city this year???

The arrival of winged visitors of the city – flamingos - seems to have deferred this year. Though the number of the number is remarkably low till this month, ornithologists have kept their fingers crossed anticipating more flocks by next month.
“Flamingos are major attraction of birders and other people. But this year there has been a great level of disappointment for them,” said naturalist Sunjoy Monga. The arrival of flamingos has been delayed over last four years, which is a serious cause of concern, he added.
Monga feels that all the organic and other discharge, the effluents and possibly the release of warm waters from the varied, extensive high-end industry on two sides could have played a major role in influencing the ecology of this Sweri Bay. “Call it something going against traditional conservation wisdom, in that, the very sights and smells here defy conservation logic,” Monga said.
Gujarat is said to have the largest number of wintering Lesser Flamingos – over three lakh birds. Even there, the numbers were very low during January this year. It is obvious that most of these flamingos do not breed there and so there is an urgent need to monitor this species.
“It would be premature to comment on the number as arrival of flamingos continues till March. Let us hope for better and wait till March,” said Prashant Shinde of Shrishti Dnyan Mandal. According to Shinde, around 6,000 flamingos have made it to Sewri Bay and the number might increase in days to come. The situation at Mahul creek is relatively dismal. Last year around 25,000 flamingos had come here. But this year the number has gone down to around 8,000. “The situation this year is bleak majority of the birds arrived last month,” said Waman Koli, local fisherman from Mahul.
“The fact that up to 20000 flamingos come to Mumbai during winter, indicates the importance that the region locally holds for this species,” Monga said.
The Bay is home not only to thousands of flamingos for over seven months but also sustains plenty of other marine biodiversity, and an estimated quarter of a million other migratory waders like sandpipers, plovers and others, besides numerous terns, gulls and others. Nearly 150 species of birds have been recorded on the Bay and its immediate surrounds.