Three tagged Indian skimmers found in Karimnagar

Hyderabad: Karimnagar has recorded the presence of three tagged Indian skimmers, confirming the movement of the rare birds beyond their known habitats. As part of a study conducted by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), the birds were originally tagged at the Mahanadi river in Odisha. Among the 120 Indian skimmers spotted in the area, two were tagged in 2024 and one in 2022, providing valuable insight into their migration patterns.

These tagged birds were identified by coloured flags (tag 2R0 was tagged in 2022 and 4T5 and 4T8 were tagged in 2024), which allow researchers to track their movements whenever they are spotted and reported.

However, these flags do not provide real-time tracking like satellite tags, limiting researchers to only endpoint observations. In this case, the birds were first tagged at Mahanadi and later sighted at Karimnagar, indicating that the population from Odisha is moving towards Telangana. This supports earlier findings that Indian skimmers from Mahanadi also travel to the backwaters of Perupalem near Coringa of Kakinada district in Andhra Pradesh.

Initially, bird watchers in Karimnagar saw a flock of 120 Indian skimmers in 2024 but didn't notice the tags. Recently, they spotted tagged birds, providing important information about their migration. Citizen scientists, bird watchers, and photographers helped identify them, highlighting the importance of public involvement in bird research.

BNHS researchers explained that tagging birds gives important information about their migration and survival rates. For example, the Indian skimmer tagged in 2022 is now three years old, helping researchers learn about its lifespan. Unlike satellite tracking, which is expensive, tagging is a cheaper way to study many birds.

“We consider this as one season, where the birds nest from March to July on the rivers and then migrate to other places. This sighting is important for Telangana, especially because it's not just a few birds, but a good number. The species has only about 3,000 birds worldwide. Some were tagged as chicks, but now most are adults.” said Parveen Shaikh, scientist at the BNHS.

While Telangana has recorded Indian skimmers before, this is the first time three of them are tagged and has also been officially documented. Local reports suggest that the birds may have been visiting for years, but official records were lacking. The discovery that over 120 Indian skimmers are using Karimnagar as a habitat raises questions about its potential importance as an important birding area (IBA) and a potential Ramsar site contender for the Telangana state.

Along with Indian skimmers, several other wintering birds use this site, including Ruddy shelducks, greater flamingos, ospreys, and various gull species such as Pallas’s gulls, brown-headed gulls, and black-headed gulls. This highlights the potential of the site as an important birding area, though it has not yet been officially recognised as such.