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India’s geographical diversity opens room for a number of migratory birds coming to India during different seasons of the year. India’s rich wildlife is known everywhere and these migratory birds along with other terrain animals make fauna more diverse. These birds are also a major attraction for many visitors and bird watchers who love nature and sightseeing.
The main reason for the migration of birds in India is the unavailability of suitable climatic conditions in their natural homeland due to which they migrate to other regions for a better survival condition.
A number of migratory birds cover large distances and visit India in order to escape from the cold climate in the north or the excess heat in the south and the west. India provides favourable conditions, shelter and food for both of these types of migratory birds.
So now we are going to provide various migratory birds names and details in this article. For our convenience, we are going to divide this article into two parts: winter migratory birds and summer migratory birds in India.
So let’s begin with the summer migratory birds.
Migratory Birds in India During Summer:
1. Comb Duck
The first bird on our list is the Comb bird. This migratory bird visits states like Haryana where availability of freshwater lakes and swamps is there. This bird comes from South Asia, Madagascar, Sahara(Africa) and also from Brazil and Trinidad. This bird loves isolation, away from humans. So the tropical lowlands of Haryana are a perfect destination for these birds to spend their summers.
2. Asian Koel
We all are aware of the melodious voice of these birds but the strange fact is that these birds are not truly Indian. They are located mainly in Singapore and visit India during the summer months. The Singapore climate is a bit hot so these birds come to the Indian land in search climate and enough food. One more strange fact about them is that they do not make their own nests and lay their eggs there but they use other bird’s nests like crows for this. Pondicherry is their favourite ‘guest house’.
3. Eurasian Golden Oriole
The next Bird on our list of migratory birds is Eurasian golden oriole which comes to India mainly from Europe. Sometimes these birds also migrate from Africa and spend their summers in the Indian mainland. A famous fact related to this bird is about its unique cry. It is believed that once a person who hears this bird crying, can never forget it.
4. Blue-cheeked Bee Eater
This is a small bird with gluten which comes from different parts of Africa and Europe. The main reason for this is that India serves as a perfect breeding ground for them and they mainly reside in the peninsular region. Dragonfly is the favourite ‘breakfast’, ‘lunch’ and ‘dinner’ of these birds.
Also Read: Wild Animals in India
5. Black-Crowned Night Heron
This bird is located in various countries of the world mainly China, and Argentina. During the summer due to the hot climate, these birds migrate and come to the Asian continents especially in countries like India which provides a perfect place for feeding, breeding and escaping the scorching heat. In India, they can be spotted easily in the regions of Bengal. Apart from eating insects and fishes, they don’t even spare “venomous snakes”.
After discussing the summer migrating birds, let us now focus our attention on the major migratory birds visiting the county during the winter months.
Migratory Birds in India During Winter:
1. Rosy Pelican
This bird is known for its large wings and powerful beak. They cover long distance from Europe to countries like India, Pakistan and sometimes even Nepal. North India is the favourite ‘guest house’ for these migratory birds. They mainly feed on fishes and thus fresh-water lakes are the best choice.
2. Ruff
They are native to the Tundra region of the Arctics. So during the winters, it becomes almost inhabitable due to extreme colder climates. So they come to India and spend their winters getting enough food and good living conditions. They mainly reside in the Himalayan region and once the summer-the breeding season comes, they again go back to their home place.
3. Siberian Crane
They are amongst the most important and endangered winter migratory birds of India. They fly over a distance of about 400 miles which is comparable to the half of the length of the globe and then come to India to get relief from the extreme winter climate of Siberia and lack of food. In India, the Bharatpur National park and the Ghana National Park are their major centres. It is very sad that since the past few decades, the appearance of these birds has become irregular because of many factors including hunting, overpopulation and lack of suitable conditions.
4. Northern Shoveler
Native to North Asia and the parts of Europe, they migrate to South America, Africa and some parts of India during the months of winters. The Himalayas are their favourite home and in the last few years, the numbers of birds visiting India has increased to great numbers. The country provides a lot of food and safe shelter for them.
5. Bluethroat
Bluethroat got this name because blue feathers can be spotted below its neck. It is a small, beautiful bird with a sharp voice which is extremely melodious. It is known to mimic other birds by responding to their calls. The climate in Europe and Alaska during the winter months are very harsh for these birds to survive. So they fly to the Indian subcontinents in search of favourable conditions. Rajasthan is their favourite ‘guest house’ in India. They usually eat different types of insects and sometimes also visit the Maldives after crossing the boundaries of Southern India.
Final words …
So these were few important migratory birds in India. Tourist also search for these birds during their holidays. They adds to the ‘fauna diversity’ of the country.
Hope you loved reading this article about the migratory birds of India.
