Winter brings several rare bird species to Jaisalmer

JAISALMER: The desert district is witnessing many rare birds during winters. Bird enthusiasts think this is a good sign for the ecological system. Recently, rare Spanish sparrows and other species of sparrows were spotted here.
Three days ago, a delegation of bird enthusiasts including Dr Divesh Saini, Parth Jagani, Dr Shyam Meena, Radheyshyam Pemani, Javed Ali spotted rare birds that have travelled thousands of kilometres from cold countries to desert areas.
Divesh Saini said that with the arrival of winter season, birds from Siberia, Russia, and other cold regions migrate southwards. “We conducted a census in the Desert National Park and saw various species. Our team member Musa Khan, a bird guide in Sam saw 200+ species, which include house sparrow, Spanish sparrow, MacQueen’s bustard, Trumpeter finch etc.”
He said “Among migratory species of sparrow, the Spanish sparrow is a close relative of the house sparrow. They migrate southwards towards Africa and western part of India in winters. The male sparrow is similar to the house sparrow in plumage, but differs as its underparts are heavily streaked with black. It also has a chestnut rather than a grey crown. Female bird is quite similar in appearance to female house sparrow.”
He added, “The Spanish sparrow is usually seen in flocks and feeds principally on the seeds of grains and seeds of grass.”
Zoology assistant professor Shyam Sunder Meena said, “In the beginning of August, migrant birds like Rufous-tailed scrub robin, Red-tailed and Red-backed shrike arrive in Jaisalmer for almost two months. They prefer to live in rocky habitats with grass patches. After the monsoon season this area of Thar is full of insects and various of herbs and shrubs. These birds are insectivorous and play an important role in insect and pest control.”
Wildlife specialist Parth Jagani said that in Bada bagh area in Jaisalmer two days ago grey hypocolius of bulbul species was spotted. This species was found in 2019 and after a gap of 20-22 months it has been spotted again. Many migratory birds are still arriving in Jaisalmer.