Death of 39 flamingos raises an alarm: what led the migratory birds to take the path of airplane?

While the postmortem of the 39 birds is still underway, the deaths have raised alarms over the emerging human-animal conflict in the financial capital.

What are the migratory patterns of birds in Mumbai?

In November every year, nearly 1 – 1.5 lakh flamingos start migrating from Kutch, Bhavnagar and other scattered areas of Gujarat to Mumbai. The purpose of their long arduous journey: search for food. On entering Mumbai, the flamingos nest at their feeding ground at the Thane creek area, which stretches from Vitawa to Uran. Flying at an average speed of 40 – 50 kmph, these flamingos comprise primarily two types — the greater flamingos and lesser flamingos. As many as 52 other species of migratory birds also come to Mumbai.

Mrugank Prabhu, a scientist from BNHS who has been studying the migration ecology of birds in and around Mumbai, said, “While Gujarat is their breeding ground, Thane creek area is their feeding ground. The flamingos primarily feed on the algae that grows on the mudflats, which start emerging when the water from the creek starts drying during the low tides. They start arriving in November and their peak season is between January and February.”

Following this, the flamingos start flying back to their breeding grounds in Gujarat from the month of May until July. According to BNHS experts who have been studying the Monday accident, the height at which the flock of pink birds were flying indicates that they were on their return migration to Kutch.

Has Mumbai witnessed deaths of flamingos in the past?

Flamingos and other migratory birds have been prone to accidental deaths and injuries over years. Last month, around 12 flamingos were found dead in the Navi Mumbai area, with activists blaming the CIDCO for the deaths. They said the birds died of “light pollution”, which affects their vision due to their fragile eyes.

Vikrant Khade, ACF (Mangrove Cell) who is leading the investigation into the Monday incident, told The Indian Express, “In this migratory season, between December 2023 till now, we have carried out rescue operations of 4 – 5 injured flamingos… While this is the first such incident in Mumbai, we often get calls of injuries and deaths of flamingos in road accidents. In some pockets of Navi Mumbai, where the habitats of the flamingos are very close to the highway, they sometimes come on to the road and get hit by vehicles.”

According to Pawan Sharma, honorary wildlife warden of Mumbai and founder of Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW), who aided in the rescue operations, the reports of such accidents increase during strong monsoon winds as well as the entry and exit movements of the flamingos.
However, Sharma echoed that the Monday incident was unusual both in terms of scale and manner.

Haphazard urban planning behind the death of 39 birds?

While senior officials from the Mangrove Cell confirmed that the birds died after colliding with an Emirates airplane, the forest department is yet to ascertain why the birds came on the path of the aircraft.

Stating that an investigation has been launched, SY Rama Rao said, “Since the Thane Creek sanctuary is situated 4 kilometres from the site, the possibility of this being the usual route of the migratory birds cannot be ruled out. In our inspection, we have even found that the airplane was flying on its usual route. However, since this is the first such incident, we have appointed a team to ascertain why the flamingos came along the way of the aircraft and what were the causes behind the collision.”

Some activists have pointed out the high-voltage power lines inside the Thane Creek sanctuary and Ramsar site as a possible cause. Stalin D, environmentalist and director of NGO Vanshakti, said, “It is likely that the flamingos were trying to overpass these high power lines and were hit by the airplane.”

“With the CIDCO allowing construction along the water bodies in Navi Mumbai where the flamingos arrive, it is likely that someone was attempting to chase the birds away during the night and clear the land,” added Stalin.

BN Kumar, director of NatConnect Foundation, claimed that flamingos were never spotted before anywhere around the Ghatkopar area. “The flamingos seemingly were flying to the north and had to change their path because of the high rises all over. It is the poor urban planning that has claimed these lives,” he added.

Does the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport pose risks to the flamingos?

In light of the Ghatkopar incident, several activists have sounded alarms over the risks posed by the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA), which is surrounded by Karnala Bird Sanctuary, Matheran Hills, Nhava Sheva & Uran wetlands, and the Thane creek that are roosting grounds of several migratory birds.

“The airport area and its airspace are a high-level bird activity zone and hence it will cause a serious bird hazard. If any bird strikes happen, it will not only risk the lives of the birds but also that of the passengers and residents,” said Debi Goenka, an environmentalist who challenged the environment and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearances.

There are two flamingo points at a distance from the upcoming airport — one along Palm Beach Road and one in Nerul Lake, which hosts thousands of them every year. “Even if these points are a little away from the airport, the birds and the airplanes would share the same air space and there are possibilities of crashes and related hazards to occur in the future,” said Akshita Kumar an Ulwe resident.

However, speaking with The Indian Express, a source from Adani Group, maintained, “There are no studies to prove the environmental hazards caused by the airport project. We have all the required clearance reports.”