Naturalists say Mumbai hosts five common migratory gull species every winter, including the Brown-headed gull and Pallas’s gull, which travel from Central Asia and the Arctic before returning by March-April
Tourists feed junk food like sev, gathia, farsan, and wafers to migratory seagulls at Gorai jetty. PICS/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The growing practice of tourists feeding junk food like sev, gathia, farsan, and wafers to migratory seagulls at Gorai jetty is harming the birds, wildlife experts warn, citing risks to their health and natural feeding behaviour.
Wildlife Crime Control Bureau(WCCB) member Ankit Vyas, who visited Gorai jetty recently, said he was shocked to see tourists feeding junk to birds. mid-day has repeatedly reported every winter that feeding migratory birds arriving in India is a harmful practice that disrupts their natural diet and behaviour.
“Feeding wild birds is not an innocent gesture but an offence that endangers wildlife. Authorities must deploy forest staff at Gorai and other bird congregation spots, enforce fines without exception,” said Vyas.
Not just Gorai
People also feed junk to wild birds at Marine Drive, ferries to Elephanta and Alibaug, the Airoli creek bridge, and the Versova bridge on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway. Forest department officials have been conducting awareness drives and installing warning boards to discourage this.
Can be fatal to birds
Dr Rina Dev, avian and exotic species veterinarian and founder of Riwild Sanctuary and Charitable Trust, said, “Hepatic lipidosis/fatty liver can be caused due to feeding high-fat diets. The condition can be life-threatening for birds, whose digestive system is not equipped to digest such fats. Moreover, nutritional deficiencies may occur, and the birds becoming attracted to the wrong diet can become a habit.”
Seagulls spotted in Mumbai
Naturalist and wildlife photographer Mahesh Yadav told mid-day that Mumbai has mainly five types of gulls that are most common. However, identifying them can be difficult because their colour keeps changing with age.
Seagull species can be difficult to identify as their colour changes with age
Brown-headed gull: Arrives around late October-early November from high-altitude lakes of Central Asia (Tibetan Plateau, Ladakh, Mongolia, Western China); returns by March-April to Himalayan and Central Asian wetlands.
Black-headed gull: Arrives around late October-early November from Central Asia (Russia, Mongolia) and parts of Europe; returns by March-April to Central Asia and Europe.
Heuglin’s gull: Arrives in October-November from the Arctic north (Northern Russia, Siberian tundra); returns by March-April to the Siberian tundra and Arctic coasts.
Pallas’s gull: Arrives around late October-early November from Central Asia (Mongolia, Southern Russia, Tibet); returns by March-early April to high-altitude lakes and marshes of Central Asia.
Slender-billed gull: Arrives between November and March from Central Asia (Caspian region), the Middle East (Iran, Pakistan coasts) and Northwest India (some breed in Kutch); returns by late March-early April to these breeding grounds.
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