Sirpur Lake's Migratory Bird Decline: A Warning Sign for Conservation Efforts

Indore: Once a reliable winter home to 24 pairs of ruddy shelducks, Sirpur Lake now stands eerily quiet. The Ramsar-listed wetland, which is also a popular tourist destination, especially among bird watchers, has seen these iconic visitors stop coming altogether this season.Golden pheasants, once a regular sight at the lake, have also disappeared, pointing to a sharp ecological decline blamed largely on the unchecked spread of water hyacinth.Experts estimate that migratory bird movement at Sirpur has fallen by nearly 50 percent this season, the steepest decline recorded in recent years. Bird watchers said arrivals were weakening over the past two winters, but the impact this year was particularly severe, even during the peak migration period.Bird watchers said nearly half of the small Sirpur Lake is currently covered by water hyacinth, with around 150 acre choked by the invasive plant, leaving very little open water for birds to land, feed, and rest. Conservationists said the pace of cleaning by the civic body remains slow, while hyacinth spreads rapidly."We used to get 24 couples of shelducks every winter. They have now completely stopped coming as Sirpur is gradually losing its charm as a conducive habitat for migratory birds.Golden pheasants have also vanished," said Padma Shri awardee Bhalu Mondhe, president of Nature Volunteers, Indore, a non-profit organisation working for conservation of nature, water, and biodiversity. He warned that continuous negligence could even put Sirpur's Ramsar status at risk and stressed the need to appoint wetland experts for scientific restoration.Another bird watcher, Ajay Gadikar said, the impact of hyacinth on bird count is clearly visible."This is the peak season for migratory birds, but sightings are unusually low. Large stretches of the lake are inaccessible for birds because there is no open water left. As a result, many species are bypassing Sirpur altogether," he said.Sirpur traditionally serves as a winter refuge for migratory birds from the Eurasian region, including Russia, Siberia, China and Mongolia, which arrive in India between Oct and Feb to escape extreme cold and stay for four to five months.However, environmentalists said migration was weakening over the past two years and has turned steeply negative this season.Birders reported a sharp decline in migratory ducks such as garganey, gadwall, ruddy shelduck, northern shoveller, northern pintail, and red-crested pochard, along with a significant drop in wader species including common sandpiper, wood sandpiper, and ruff and plovers. While spot-billed ducks and a few other resident birds are still being sighted, overall footfall remains far lower than in previous years.Environmentalists said local degradation of wetlands, invasive hyacinth growth, and global challenges such as climate change and geopolitical conflicts affecting migratory routes are collectively reducing bird movement.Get an chance to win ₹5000 Amazon Voucher by taking part in India's Biggest Habit Index! Take the survey here