Greater Flamingo with sub-adult chick on its back, Dholpur

Rajeev Tomar


Rajeev Tomar

Chosen as 'Picture of the Week'

While flamingos normally prefer brackish water, their presence at this waterbody has delighted birdwatchers. Apart from the nearby Chambal, flamingos have never been spotted in Dholpur before.

This unusual image of a Greater Flamingo chick on the back of its mother (?) was taken by me on 22 January in Dholpur, Rajasthan, at the Hussain Sagar water body. The waterbody derives its name from Hussain Pur, a nearby village, and is fed by rain water. Even though there is anthropogenic disturbance at this site — buffaloes enter the water and people wash their clothes here everyday — a small group of Greater Flamingos have been at the water body for over two months. I have never before seen this behaviour by a chick or an adult!

While Flamingos normally prefer brackish water, their presence at this waterbody has delighted birdwatchers. Apart from the nearby Chambal, Flamingos have never been spotted in Dholpur before. This just shows how urgent it is to protect our waterbodies, which provide refuge to so many birds, and also give us new insights into bird behaviour.

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About the author

Rajeev Tomar
The contributor is an Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN) member in Chambal.


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