Migratory Birds Give A Miss To Patna And Various Stretches Of The Ganga This Winter, Leave Experts Worried And Guessing
The Asian Waterbird Census 2026 is slated to begin in Bihar from January 18. It will continue till February 8 to count the bird species.
By Dev Raj
Published : January 17, 2026 at 7:48 PM IST
Patna: The migratory birds have given a miss to the state capital and the Ganga flowing along it this winter. It has left ornithologists and avian enthusiasts worried over the phenomenon and hunting for the reasons. The revelation comes at a time when the Asian Waterbird Census 2026 is slated to begin in Bihar from January 18. It will continue till February 8 to count the bird species and their numbers in the wetlands in the state.
Experts and ornithophiles observed the change in December at the Rajdhani Jalashaya secluded waterbody and wetland in the middle of Patna, which has been famous for providing winter habitat for domestic and foreign migratory birds. A similar decline in their arrival was noticed in the Ganga, along which the city is located.
"While conducting the pre-census round of the Asian Waterbird Census, we noticed that very few migratory birds have come to the Rajdhani Jalashay, which used to bustle with them in this season. It seems that they have avoided the place this time," a Bihar coordinator of the Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN), Navin Kumar, told ETV Bharat.
The migratory bird species that spent winters at the Rajdhani Jalashay included Gadwall (coming from Central Asia and Europe), Red-crested Pochard (Central Asia and Mongolia), Common Teal (Siberia and Europe), Eurasian Wigeon (Alaska), Northern Shoveler (Europe and Mediterranean region), and Garganey (Palearctic region). Several resident or domestic migratory species, like the Lesser Whistling Duck, also visited it during the winters.
"But this time, only a few Northern Shoveler, Common Teal and Gadwall are present, making the birdwatchers sad about the situation. Overall, there is a severe drop in the arrival of migratory birds at Rajdhani Jalashay. There used to be thousands of Lesser Whistling Ducks present every winter, but this time, only around 50 are there. We are yet to understand the reasons behind it," Navin added.
The IBCN state coordinator also revealed that the Ganga along Patna hosted several foreign and domestic migratory birds during winter, including Black-headed and Brown-headed Gull (Europe), Falcated Duck (Siberia and Europe), Common Shelduck (Euro-Siberian region), Great Crested Grebe (western and northwestern India, as well as, Europe), Spot-Billed Duck (Western India), Comb Duck (India) and Garganey during the winters, but was virtually empty this time.
"As far as migratory birds are concerned, the Ganga along Patna stands virtually deserted. The experts must find out the reasons behind this because the stretch thrived with them in the previous years," Navin said.
National Dolphin Research Centre (NDRC) interim director – cum – IBCN state coordinator Gopal Sharma also expressed concern over the “discouraging trend” noticed with regard to the migratory birds that used to flock in Patna and its neighbouring areas.
"This time the weather was very cold here and we were expecting more migratory birds, but we are seeing a decline in this regard. There could be several reasons for this. Maybe the winter arrived early, or the route taken by the birds got disturbed, or the climate change is confusing the birds as well," Gopal told ETV Bharat.
Further explaining the phenomenon observed during the ongoing winter season, the NDRC interim director pointed out that around 5000 foreign and domestic migratory birds used to stay at the Rajdhani Jalashay wetlands around this time, but only around 150 were observed.
"We observed around 250 Pied Avocet, which comes from Europe, in the Ganga along Patna around the end of November last year, but only 13 remained in January this year. Similarly, around 40 Brahminy Duck or Ruddy Shelduck were seen in the river in November, but only three to four of them remained in January. Maybe they have gone to other states for the winter, but the reasons behind this should be studied further," Gopal added.
Some avian experts have linked the decline of visiting birds in Rajdhani Jalashay to reduced water level and scarcity of food. The decline is not limited to the Ganga along Patna alone, but has been observed between Barari and Sultanganj in Bhagalpur district. Some experts link it to irregular monsoon and a scarcity of aquatic plants and animals that serve as food for the migratory birds.
Conservator of forest (Gaya), S. Sudhakar, who is the nodal officer for Bihar for the Asian Waterbird Census, also accepted the decline in the presence of migratory birds at Rajdhani Jalashay, but asserted that the Ganga river was giving positive signs in the pre-census rounds.
"There has been a drop in the arrival of migratory birds at the Rajdhani Jalashay. There could be many environmental reasons behind this. The birds could have found a better habitat in the ecosystem, which is safer and more suitable to their needs. This could also be due to the variations seen in the winter. It may not be a negative sign and could be just a natural happening," Sudhakar told ETV Bharat.
Talking about the Asian Waterbird Census, the conservator of forest said that the pre-census round spanned one month and was conducted in 25 wetlands across the state in December. Its report was being compiled.
"The chief wildlife warden has announced January 18 to February 8 as the dates for the main survey. We had conducted it in 108 wetlands in the state in 2025, but we are going to do so in 125 wetlands this year. Its number could go up to 140 as the team coordinators for the exercise are very enthusiastic," he said.
The bird census is a voluntary, citizen-centric project conducted with participatory help of government officials, bird experts, ornithophiles, civil society organisations, and the common public. Bihar has around 4 lakh hectares of wetland.
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