Six years on, ringed Eurasian whimbrel resighted on Keralam coast; marked Tibetan sand-plover also recorded
When a marked shorebird is sighted again, it provides a glimpse into the bird’s journey — where it travels, its stopover site, and how different parts of its migratory range are connected, says an expert
In the winter migratory bird season, two marked shorebirds have been resighted along the Keralam coast, providing insights into migration routes, stop-over sites, and connections between breeding and wintering grounds. A Eurasian whimbrel, marked in Kadalundi-Vallikkunnu Community Reserve in 2020, was spotted on Elathur beach in Kozhikode, more than six years after its initial ringing.
The bird had a black flag with the alphanumeric code '0J3' on its left leg and a metal ring on its right leg, indicating it had been marked in south India as part of a bird-banding programme by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). Similarly, a Tibetan sand-plover, banded in Mumbai in 2025, was seen on Chavakkad beach in Thrissur.
The bird had two white flags on its right leg, one above the other, bearing the code 'HZN' and a metal ring on its left leg, marking it as part of BNHS's bird-marking programme across India. Both sightings contribute valuable information to understanding the migration patterns of these individual birds.
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