Introduction
Tucked away in the northwestern corner of India and bordering Pakistan and the Indian states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, Gujarat is a great bird-watching destination in India. From the deserts of the Rann of Kutch which melt into the arid Banni grasslands much of northern Gujarat is a wasteland which attracts a wide variety of wintering birds to the thorn scrub and great stretches of seasonal wetlands. Add to this a 1660 km coastline on the Arabian Sea, the famous dry deciduous forests of Gir and the moist deciduous forests in the south, in a landscape interspersed with ancient hill ranges of the Aravallis, Satpura, Vindhya and the Sahyadhris, and you have the perfect recipe for a some great birding.
Kutch
Kutch is the second largest district in India covering an area of 45, 612 sq. km.and is part of the Kathiawar Peninsula occupying the northwestern part of Gujarat. Kutch is a land of deserts, dry salty alluvial mudflats, extensive grasslands and great stretches of water in the 'dhands' left by the monsoons. Dry thorn forests and mild hillocks punctuate the flat limitless stretches of land and a great variety of birds find refuge in these seemingly hostile surroundings. Kutch can be divided into 4 distinct regions: (i) The deserts of the Great Rann, to the north, (ii) The Grasslands of Banni, (iii) Mainland, consisting of plains, hills and dry river beds and (iv) Coastline along the Arabian Sea in the south with mangrove creeks to the west .
Due to its unique geographical location and habitat, Kutch is considered to be at the crossroads of Palearctic migration streams and witnesses great waves of migratory birds in winter.
Vegetation: Vegetation is mainly xerophytic with the ground cover predominated by ephemerals whose active growth is triggered by monsoon rains. 253 flowering plant species have been listed, out of which the number of species of trees was 18. Large areas have been colonized by the non-indigenous Prosopis juliflora, locally known as 'gando baawal' (mad weed) for it's almost manic ability to spread, the species is now used to make charcoal. Prosopis juliflora was introduced by the Forest Department to prevent salinity ingress from the Rann. The plant proved disastrous, as it gradually began replacing indigenous grasses and vegetation. Bets and fringe area support a variety of indigenous plants like Suaeda spp., Salvadora persica, Capparis decidua, Capparis deciduas, Calotropis procera, Tamarix sp., Aeluropus lagopoides, Cressa cretica, Sporobolus spp. and Prosopis Cineraria..
Bird life: The Kutch area supports around 370 bird species (see Checklist) and is particularly rich in raptors, waterfowl, waders and larks. Specialties include the Grey Hypocolius (Kutch is the only known wintering site in India), White-naped Tit, Stoliczka's Bushchat, Sykes's Nightjar, Greater Hoopoe Lark, Merlin, McQueen's and Indian Bustards. Over 30,000 Common Cranes, hundreds of Steppe Eagle, Marsh, Pallid and Montague's Harriers, Long-legged Buzzards, Sandgrouse, Pelicans, Flamingos and great flocks of Greater Short-toed Larks are a feature of any winter visit to the area.
Due to its unique geographical location and habitat, Kutch is considered to be at the crossroads of Palearctic migration streams and witnesses great waves of migratory birds in winter.
Vegetation: Vegetation is mainly xerophytic with the ground cover predominated by ephemerals whose active growth is triggered by monsoon rains. 253 flowering plant species have been listed, out of which the number of species of trees was 18. Large areas have been colonized by the non-indigenous Prosopis juliflora, locally known as 'gando baawal' (mad weed) for it's almost manic ability to spread, the species is now used to make charcoal. Prosopis juliflora was introduced by the Forest Department to prevent salinity ingress from the Rann. The plant proved disastrous, as it gradually began replacing indigenous grasses and vegetation. Bets and fringe area support a variety of indigenous plants like Suaeda spp., Salvadora persica, Capparis decidua, Capparis deciduas, Calotropis procera, Tamarix sp., Aeluropus lagopoides, Cressa cretica, Sporobolus spp. and Prosopis Cineraria..
Bird life: The Kutch area supports around 370 bird species (see Checklist) and is particularly rich in raptors, waterfowl, waders and larks. Specialties include the Grey Hypocolius (Kutch is the only known wintering site in India), White-naped Tit, Stoliczka's Bushchat, Sykes's Nightjar, Greater Hoopoe Lark, Merlin, McQueen's and Indian Bustards. Over 30,000 Common Cranes, hundreds of Steppe Eagle, Marsh, Pallid and Montague's Harriers, Long-legged Buzzards, Sandgrouse, Pelicans, Flamingos and great flocks of Greater Short-toed Larks are a feature of any winter visit to the area.
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