Officials and bird watchers in Delhi Zoo are delighted with the arrival of around hundred painted storks. Now with the first batch of birds well settled, Zoo officials said on Wednesday they are expecting more painted storks to arrive soon and stay till March.
Every year in September, these birds migrate from different regions of India and foreign countries. "Good rainfall in the national capital has resulted in the early arrival of these birds," said a Zoo official.
Though birds in the Zoo are migrating from Kufri and Pong Dam regions of Himachal Pradesh, but till the month of October, more painted storks will be arriving and the numbers can cross 1,500 to 2,000.
According to ornithologists, painted storks, scientifically known as Mycteria leucocephala, are found in Southern Asia and live in wetland.
Painted storks breed in colonies and because of their group nesting, these birds are also named as colonial birds. "Generally, these birds come to bird sanctuaries and establish their small colonies but breed individually," said Naveen, who is doing research on painted storks.
"Monsoon is the factor that affects the population of colonial birds here and good rainfall results in good breeding," he added.
Delhi Zoo and Bhartpur Bird Sanctuary in Rajasthan are places where painted storks come for breeding and their babies stay before they go back to agricultural and wetland landscape places.
In 2014, due to weak monsoon, the number of migrating painted stork birds was less. "these migrated birds survive in Monsoon and their diet depends on the rainfall. the season is best for their breeding," said the researcher. The diet of painted stork birds is fishes, researcher further added.
"To provide natural diet to these birds, zoo administration allowed muddy water of sewage in ponds. These birds form nesting colonies in areas there is moss as painted storks are also fond of insects," said Riaz Khan, the Delhi Zoo Curator.
In appearance, these bird have a heavy yellow beak with a down -curved tip that gives it a resemblance to an ibis. The arrival of painted stork birds is considered good for Delhi Tourism industry. During the monsoon and winter season, the numbers of visitors and researchers is increased.