Articles by Tarang Sarin

Birds in India migrate from Northern latitudes to escape cold temperatures during winter. Some arrive during monsoons to breed and some are passage migrants that take a pit stop in the country around October-November and March-April, during their journeys elsewhere. Some are local migrants that move within the country according to their breeding cycle.  We should appreciate the long journeys which migratory birds take in order to complete their life cycle. In terms of migration routes of birds, Navi Mumbai lies near one of the paths of the Central Asian Flyway.  Starling, Buntings, Rosefinch, Stonechat and Pipits migrate to Mumbai…

It's summer time now, and the calls of the Asian Koel to find a mate, can be heard through the day. It is breeding season for many birds. A visit to the mangroves and wetlands of Kharghar, Navi Mumbai, reveals a variety of birds in breeding plumage - Indian Pond Heron, Cattle Egret, Great Egret. The Clamorous Reed Warbler is given away by his territorial singing. Even elusive birds like the Striated Heron, Yellow Bittern and Cinnamon Bittern get active in summer and can be more easily spotted. In breeding plumage at Kharghar - Indian Pond Heron, Cattle Egret, Great…

The Mumbai Birdrace, supported by HSBC, has been organized since 2005, with Sunjoy Monga as the chief organiser. Many teams, each comprising of 4-5 people take part, and the one with the highest number of species of birds wins. The team that spots the rarest bird also gets a prize. Every year a dinner is usually organized for the participants at the end of the day. This year due to COVID, team size was restricted to 3, and every team was compensated for their travel and meals (in lieu of the dinner). The bird watching timings were from sunrise to…