Bird Ringing Returns To Rajasthan's Keoladeo National Park After 35 Years: Everything To Know

Bharatpur: The prestigious bird ringing project has resumed in Keoladeo National Park after 35 years. The practice is set to reveal many mysteries about birds, their flight and their life cycles.

Scientists say they are back in the field to understand how a 6-gram warbler grows to 10 grams by the time it returns, how Rajasthan sparrows fly to Kazakhstan, and what new routes bar-headed geese are now taking from Tibet and Mongolia.

The bird ringing study, being conducted jointly by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), a pan-India wildlife research organisation, and the Rajasthan Forest Department, is poised to unravel many such mysteries of the bird world. The historic project has been resumed after obtaining permission from the Central Government and the Chief Wildlife Warden of Rajasthan.

“This is the same tradition that was started by the father of ornithology, Dr Salim Ali, and continued by the BNHS for years,” Manas Singh, Keoladeo Director, said. “The timing and significance of the resumption of this project after a long hiatus are both significant. Because the world is experiencing climate change, bird migration patterns are the first to indicate this change.”

Why is ringing important?

Singh explained that birds are the most accurate indicators of weather, as increasing temperature fluctuations, changing rainfall patterns, and rapid changes in natural habitats have affected their life cycles.

“It’s crucial to know which birds are visiting Bharatpur now. How long are they staying compared to before? What changes are taking place in their weight, health, and migration routes? And most importantly, which species may change their habits in the coming decade?” he said.

Singh said that the study showed that when a tiny bird called a warbler arrives at the forest, its weight is recorded at approximately 6 grams, but when the same bird returns from the forest, its weight is found to be more than 10 grams.

“This means Keoladeo is not just a stopover for them, but a huge reservoir of energy. The food and safe environment available here give them so much strength that they can travel across many countries,” he added.

Bird Ringing Returns To Rajasthan's Keoladeo National Park After 35 Years: Everything To Know (ETV Bharat)

Rajasthan’s sparrows reach Kazakhstan

The director said that the biggest and unexpected discovery of this study concerns the house sparrow. “For centuries, it has been considered a local bird, a bird that spends its life in corners of houses, on balconies, and in nearby trees. This means it has been considered a short-distance bird, but ringing has completely disproved this notion. A sparrow found in Rajasthan has been identified in Kazakhstan, meaning it is not a local but an international migrant,” he said.

Singh said that ringing had surprised the world many times before, and studies of the flight of tagged bar-headed geese and grey-legged geese in the 1990s indicate that these birds migrate from extremely cold regions like Tibet, Mongolia, and even Siberia.

Director Singh explained that bird ringing is also important, allowing us to learn about changes over the past 20 to 30 years.

“Keoladeo was previously considered one of the world's best wetlands and bird sanctuaries, but now it is proving to be not just a sanctuary but a global natural laboratory for understanding bird migration and climate signals,” he said.

The reports from the studies being conducted here will prove valuable not only to India but also to the international scientific community. In the coming decades, this research will reveal the extent to which the changing environment has affected birds and biodiversity, he added.

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