Key Highlights
- India’s first systematic count of coastal and wader birds was held over three days in the Marine National Park, Jamnagar.
- More than 100 ornithologists, bird‑watchers and scholars from across the nation participated.
- The exercise spanned a 170‑km stretch of shoreline, covering 25‑30 wetlands including both protected and unprotected sites.
- Over 300 species were recorded, highlighting the presence of threatened waders such as the Crab Plover and the Great Knot.
- Data gathered will feed into conservation planning for the Central Asian Flyway, a major migratory corridor.
Detailed Insights
The census unfolded between 3 and 5 January 2025 within the Marine National Park and Sanctuary, the country’s inaugural marine protected area. Extending from Okha to Navlakhi, the park embraces roughly 170 km of the Gulf of Kutch coastline and harbors 42 islands rich in mangrove and reef habitats. Participants conducted synchronized counts at key wetland complexes—Narara, Khijadiya, Mulvel, Poshitra, and Charakala—using standardized protocols for species identification, brood counting and habitat assessment.
Observations confirmed that Jamnagar supports a remarkable assemblage of more than three hundred bird taxa, among which the critically endangered Crab Plover (*Dromas ardeola*) and the globally vulnerable Great Knot (*Calidris tenuirostris*) were reported in viable numbers. The site lies on the Central Asian Flyway, a trans‑hemispheric route linking breeding grounds in the Arctic to wintering habitats across the Indian Ocean. Consequently, the region functions both as a stop‑over and a breeding enclave, underscoring its international ecological relevance.
By compiling quantitative data on population size, distribution, and habitat condition, the Gujarat government intends to refine management actions, improve habitat connectivity, and strengthen legal safeguards for the park’s avian component.
Key Concepts
- Coastal and Wader Birds: Avian groups that inhabit shoreline, mud‑flat and shallow water environments, often undertaking long‑distance migrations.
- Marine National Park and Sanctuary: A legally designated marine protected area aimed at conserving marine biodiversity, habitats and associated species.
- Central Asian Flyway: One of the world’s major migratory pathways, extending from the arctic breeding zones through Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent and beyond.
- Crab Plover (Dromas ardeola): A small, shore‑dwelling bird classified as Endangered, dependent on undisturbed mud‑flats for nesting.
- Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris): A large wader listed as Vulnerable, notable for forming massive flocks during migration.