Collared Pratincole Spotted at the Chandu Budhera Canal Area

On a recent visit to the Chandu Budhera canal area on the 31st of March, 2025, I was able to spot a few Collared Pratincole birds at the Chandu Budhera Canal area in Gurugram bordering New Delhi. A distinct bird with an elegant necklace and a red bill, and a brown body plumage. On doing some research on the bird, I came to know that it is a winter visitor to India. The survival rate of these birds is very low since they live in can be very hot.

The population of this bird is on a decline mainly in Europe because of a reduction in the sizes of their habitats. These birds feed on insects which are becoming fewer in numbers due to developmental activities. Breeding is a major problem for these birds.

While in earlier years the species used to be spotted in the months of August to November, climate changes might have had an impact on the late arrival of these birds in the Northern Plains of India. It is safe to assume that Collared Pratincole birds might be more likely to visit the Northern plains of India during the Autumn season.

Collared Pratincole birds, are waders that are sparse winter/autumn visitors to India. They breed in Central Asia and migrate to warmer regions like those in Africa during cold winter months.

Photographing Bar-headed Geese-Tips and Tricks

Photographing Bar-headed Geese can be most rewarding, especially if you can get really close to them without distressing them. They are specially spooked by abrupt movements, flashy clothes and abrupt movements. Wearing camouflage clothes, muted colors and clothes that break the body shape can be of much help.

The months of February and March see Bar-headed Geese heading for the wetlands in and around Gurugram in Haryana, India. Some of the favorite wetlands and Biodiversity hotspots include the Chandu Budhera canal area bordering New Delhi, and the Basai Wetland. Bar-headed Geese home in for these places since they have been following ancient migratory routes.

The ideal time of the day to photograph Bar-headed geese is during the early morning hours. The Golden is usually between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. when the soft tones of the sun enhance the colors of the birds. Action shots of the birds capture the movements of the birds beautifully especially when they are taking off or landing.

Having a landscape context can highlight the birds making them standout of the background and foreground. Landscapes include waterscapes, green areas and in some cases derelict buildings, that can be found in abundance at the Chandu Budhera canal area.

Photographing and documenting the behavior of birds, including their interactions, and feeding behavior can make for interesting shots. Having a zoom lens or a telephoto lens 300 mm or more can be a boon because it allows you to photograph these birds from a comfortable distance without spooking them.

Ensuring a sharp focus, in my case focusing on the eyes gives you good results. Last, but not  least, you need to compose your photographs while taking the photographs. Practicing ethical wildlife photography norms make a big difference. As a wildlife photographer, you need to respect the privacy of these birds. I have come across a few wildlife photographers who throw objects at birds in order to make them take to the air so that they can take flying shots.

We often work as a team, my brother and me, moving around in synchronized movements, using hand signal so as to not frighten away the birds. I prefer riding a bike to these destinations as it is easier to park and can find its way in some of the toughest terrains.

Bar-headed Geese Spotted at the erstwhile Basai Wetland Today!

It is amazing to see Bar-headed Geese returning to their wintering habitat in the now defunct wetland that was once a vibrant Biodiversity hotspot in Gurgaon that supported a vibrant ecosystem! What was once a huge wetland is now a small dried up patch of wasteland on which Bar-headed Geese keep returning every year. Unfortunately this patch which is imbedded in their navigation history has shrunk to a few square meters!

The Basai Wetland in Gurgaon is a prime example of the desecration of a prime wetland by unscrupulous builders and various organizations that have deliberately turned a blind eye to the wanton destruction of an important biodiversity hotspot. First they opened waste sewer pipes into the marshland, then they allowed people to breed the banned catfish. Now, buildings are sprouting from the marshland like mushrooms overnight, and flyovers bisect the once thriving wetland into slices!

Spotting Bar-headed Geese at the Basai wetland remind me of the poem, 'Still I Rise' by Maya Angelou and I would like to quote the first stanza below:

You may write me down in history
With bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

The lines by Maya Angelo might as well be the voice of disappearing wetlands in India, or even the voices of migratory birds fighting back, returning to what were once their wintering habitats! Unfortunately, much money is being pumped into non-viable Ramsar wetland sites like the Sultanpur National Park which doesn't have its own source of water has become more of an arid wasteland that defies artificial resuscitation!

Of course we all know that Bar-headed Geese of great importance to scientific research because it is baffling how they are able to fly at heights of over 22000 feet without Oxygen. Also the accuracy with which they navigate during migration to the Indian Subcontinent is a mystery. Their endurance in flight is exemplary, and their migratory patterns have been of much study.

River Terns Spotted at the Sultanpur National Park early in the month

The spotting of quite a few River Terns on the 7th of March, 2025 at the Sultanpur National Park was unusual in itself. I have rarely come across these birds at the Sultanpur National Park, though I have spotted them at the Chandu Budhera canal a few times.

River Terns or the Indian River Terns are Terns belonging to the family of Laridae. It is a resident breeder supposed to be found along inland rivers throughout the Indian subcontinent, according to  an entry in Wikipedia. 

I was able to take a few photographs of the birds, not realising that they were River Terns. As a result, I was not able to take significant care in getting them into the frame. However one question arises and that is, what were these River Terns doing so far away the nearest inland river systems? Well I guess it is all about shifting or shrinking ecosystems in the area.

The River Tern population is declining in numbers and this could be because of shrinking ecosystems and biodiversity hotspots that support riverine birds in India and neighbouring countries. Whatever might be the case, it was a pleasant surprise to spot these birds.

The Amazing Sarus Cranes of the Chandu-Budhera Canal area

Sarus cranes are among the largest native birds in India. They can fly and are distinctly unique, matching the height of an average Indian. Sarus cranes are the world's tallest flying birds and can appear intimidating.

Sarus cranes are also India's only resident breeding cranes. While a significant number of these birds can be found in Uttar Pradesh, they have been spotted in pairs at the Sultanpur National Park, the erstwhile Basai wetland, and of course at the Chandu Budhera canal abutting the Najafgarh wetland. While Sarus Cranes and human beings exist close to each other, in Uttar Pradesh, those found in Haryana, especially Gurgaon, are more wary of human presence.

The drying up of the Basai wetland and the near drought-like conditions at the Sultanpur National Park have forced the larger birds, native or migratory, to gather at the Chandu Budhera wetland. Larger birds like Sarus cranes and the Bar-headed geese need much food to survive. Dried up wetlands have little to offer in the form of Molluscs, snails, insects, and crustaceans, besides grains, and other vegetables.

Pairs of Sarus Cranes are perfectly synchronized to each other. They feed together, fly together and sing together. While they are preening themselves, one will always be on the watch while the other busies itself putting its feathers right, and looking for niggling fleas.

These rather majestic birds are known to be with each other for life. Adults can mostly be found in pairs, a male and a female. The male Sarus Crane is taller than the female bird. Both of them are regarded as metaphors of integrity and devotion. These majestic cranes are victims of human developmental activities, including the construction of roads through biodiversity hotspots, and the building of housing societies on drained-out wetlands.

Haryana, especially Gurgaon, is losing its wetlands, biodiversity hotspots like forests, green fields at an alarmingly fast rate. Soon the Sarus Crane will be as extinct as the Siberian Crane which has not visited its nesting grounds in Northern India for decades.

While I have mentioned the birds as belonging to Chandu Budhera, it wouldn't be unfair to suggest that these birds might inhabit a larger area and not be limited to one Biodiversity hotspot. Thus Sarus cranes might travel from the Sultanpur National Park to the Chandu Budhera zone, while in the process dropping in at various other convenient places.

These birds, metaphors of love, devotion and dedication might soon become extinct in the coming four or five years. It is important to take up steps to ensure the safe existence of the Majestic and Graceful Sarus Cranes in Haryana, especially Gurgaon.