With 65 migratory species, greener Sultanpur park a visual treat as it opens after 19 months

GURUGRAM: With the imminent arrival of winter, several migratory bird species are coming to Sultanpur National Park, which on Monday opened to visitors for the first time this year with a treat. Birders spotted 65 species of migratory birds at the park. It has 25 resident bird species at present.
According to experts, most of the migratory species seen at the park are water birds because of the extended monsoon this year.Some of the birds spotted on Monday were the bar-headed and greylag geese, northern pintail and green-winged teal. The grey-headed lapwing was spotted a week ago in the park, a rare occurrence in Delhi-NCR.

“At present, there are about more than 35,000 birds in the sanctuary. We also have a floating population of birds,” said Sanjay Sharma, a bird expert at the park. “More migratory birds will arrive in the park in the coming days. Every year, the park witnesses more than 250 species of domestic birds during winter,” he added.
Migratory water birds spotted at the park in winter include the northern shoveler, pintail, gadwall, grebe, common teal and cotton pygmy goose.
The park has become greener with a dense forest as it was closed for 19 months because of Covid-19, according to park officials. It now has three water bodies.
One is a natural lake of 150 acres, while the other two have been created by the wildlife department. The second is spread across two acres of land, while the third is of five acres. “More water bodies will attract more water birds to the park,” a wildlife official said. Sultanpur National Park was designated a Ramsar site, a wetland of international significance, in May this year.
The park has put certain restrictions in place this time due to the pandemic. Only 20 people or less are allowed on the premises for three hours. Meanwhile, only those wearing masks and exhibiting no Covid symptoms will be allowed entry into the park after they are found to be marked ‘safe’ on the Aarogya Setu mobile app.
Birders are thrilled at being able to visit the park. “The restriction of 20 people will help reduce crowds in the park, and thus birds won’t be disturbed because of too much human presence,” said Pankaj Gupta, a border official of Delhi Bird Society.
In winter, large numbers of birds fly millions of miles to reach the wetlands here for resting and feeding, a park staffer said. The migratory birds that frequent the park can be broadly categorised as waders, which are birds dependent on shallow water, singing warblers and ducks.
“This year’s sightings have been good in Delhi-NCR. Many rare birds have been spotted in the region during the pandemic,” said M L Mallik, conservator of wildlife, Gurugram.