The number of birds at Wadhwana Lake went up in the second round of counting that was conducted by the forest department on Tuesday. Officials said that approximately 70,000 birds were spotted at Wadhwana Lake and the adjacent Simaliya Lake during the two sessions of counting done on the occasion of World Wetland Day.
“The number of birds went up as compared to the first counting that we conducted on January 1. On Tuesday, about 70,000 birds were counted in and around the lake. The count of species though went down as many migratory birds seem to have left the wetland and were headed home,” said Baldevsinh Waghela, divisional forest officer (DFO) (wildlife), Vadodara.

Thirteen teams including the forest officials and volunteers of NGOs took part in the counting. “The counting was done for the second time to meet the criteria for Ramsar Site. We are now documenting the details of both the counts,” said Waghela.
In the first counting, 62,570 birds of 133 species were spotted at the lake. The numbers were much less than 2020 when 83,000 birds were spotted at Wadhwana wetlands.

Forest officials said that the weather was foggy and water level in Wadhwana was high during the first count. “Most birds prefer marshy waters. If the level is too high, they stay away from the lake. Many birds preferred to roost in the fields near the lake, so the numbers were less during the first census,” a forest official said.
The forest department has been making efforts to get Ramsar site for Wadhwana Lake that is one of the biggest wetlands in the state. The officials have compiled migratory and local bird census of the last three years apart from the flora and fauna for the proposal that has been sent to the government.

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