Crab Plover + Bird of the Week Invitation XXV

On a sand bank near Little Warsaw, Jamnagar, I saw a mass of crab plover (Dromas ardeola) roosting. These unmistakable birds, the sole member of the family Dromadidae, can be found along the shores of the Arabian Sea and as far down the east coast of Africa as Durban. Interestingly, you can see them across the Indian Ocean in the Andaman islands and even as far east as Kuala Lumpur in winter, but you are unlikely to spot them on the east coast of India. During the Indian Ocean monsoon they nest in large communes in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, the Gulf of Aden, and the Red Sea, and disperse across the Indian Ocean in winter. Their breeding habits are so different from that of most plovers (they dig burrows, their eggs are completely white, they continue feeding their young through winter), that I would love to see a colony some day.

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There aren’t many places on WordPress where bird watchers can share posts. If you post any photos of birds this week (starting today and up to next Monday), it would be great if you could leave a link in the comments, or a pingback, for others to follow. You don’t have to post a recent photo, nor do you have to post a photo of the same bird as mine. It would be helpful to give as much information as you can, for example which bird it is, where and when you saw the bird, any behaviour you found interesting, or anything else you wish. You might consider using the tag “Bird of the Week” to help others search for old posts. I hope you’ve had the time to look at what others have added in this week and earlier.

Bird of the Week XXIV

Hectic times on tidal flats

Little Warsaw (there’s a long story there) of Jamnagar stands near a tidal flat. We reached when the tide was coming in. A group of Sarus cranes (Antigone antigone) was foraging in the low waters. They are wonderful to watch at all times, so it was a while before I took my eyes off them to look at the tourists basking on a spit of sand beyond them.

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They were mostly Crab plovers (Dromas ardeola) winter visitors from Sri Lanka and Maldives. You wouldn’t think anyone would leave those Indian Ocean islands to come and winter in Gujarat. There has to be a story there; one that I intend to follow up some time. As they roosted, a noisy flock of Great Knot (Calidris tenuirostris) came flying in. As they picked their way between the roosting Craab plovers, I noticed some distinctive Heuglin’s gulls (Larus fuscus heuglini) floating behind the islet. The gulls roost in the water.

A knot of locals were sitting by the shore when we arrived, and now they decided to wade out. Their village was probably on the far side of the flats, and they seemed pretty sure of the route to follow. I heard more commotion, and I took my eyes off them. A bunch of elegant Eurasian Oystercatchers (Haematopus ostralegus) came flying in. The Crab plovers were beginning to get crowded out. There was a lot of squawking and crying from the mixed bunch on the island. The villagers had turned in the meanwhile. They were definitely following a fixed route.

The Great Knots were alert to the approaching humans, and took off in a flurry of wing-beats. The Crab plovers had given up on their sleep and were on their feet. The villagers were very close to the islet when they birds took off. As the humans crossed the sand on their way home, a few brave plovers stood their ground. When they were gone, the Crab plovers came back to reclaim the island for themselves. They wanted to spend the afternoon roosting. We were off for lunch.