Migratory Birds of Sambhar Lake and their Conservation Status

Rajasthan, a state in India, is endowed with an abundance of desert with water bodies including perennial and seasonal rivers, wetlands, ponds, and saline lakes.  Wetland areas are vital for numerous bird species, providing necessary environments for activities such as breeding, nesting, feeding, and nurturing their young (Kleijn et al., 2014).  Wetlands rank as the second most productive ecosystems, following tropical rainforests (Ekhande 2012). A wetland ecosystem situated in a region with consistently high temperatures, particularly in the arid and semi-arid zones of Rajasthan, plays a vital role in mitigating water-related issues and preserving ecological harmony. (Singh et al., 2025). Rajasthan's Sambhar lake wetland is a key environment for both resident and migratory birds, contributing significantly to the region's avian diversity. According to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (1971), its mission is to promote the conservation and responsible use of wetlands at both local and national levels, along with international collaboration, to support sustainable development globally (Rahman et al., 2022).  The research indicated that most bird species in the Sambhar lake wetland are categorized as Least Concern. Nevertheless, the presence of Near Threatened and Vulnerable species underscores the necessity for targeted conservation initiatives, as highlighted by the IUCN Red List (IUCN 2025). The Indian subcontinent hosts around 1,340 species of birds, making up more than 13% of the world's avian diversity (Sivaperuman and Gokulkrishnan, 2022).  According to the Ramsar Convention from 1975, species that are ecologically reliant on wetlands are termed waterfowl or aquatic birds. Migratory birds, including the Lessor flamingo, Greater flamingo, Northern Shovelers, Green winged teals, and little stints demonstrate the wetland’s critical role as a stopover and wintering site along major migration pathways. Unfortunately, it has been noted that these essential ecosystems are continuously facing degradation due to local human activities.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

The current research encompassed the compilation and synthesis of available secondary information, alongside the acquisition of primary information using proper techniques and conforming to recognized methodologies. The key strategies to be adopted in this current undertaking include: Macro-level strategy: Initial desk study: gathering and organizing secondary data from multiple sources. This exercise aimed to gather published articles related to different environmental components and variables. The scientific literature detailing various aspects of wetland biodiversity and avifauna, including species descriptions, was gathered and organized.

Study area

Saline wetlands in Rajasthan play an important role in economic as well as ecosystem services. India’s largest saline wetland, Sambhar Lake (26° 52′ to 27° 02′ N; 74° 54′–75° 14′ E) in Rajasthan is considered for its highly pure salt for centuries (Kaushik and Raza 2019). Sambhar Lake present in the arid region lies adjacent to the Aravalli hills (on the east) in the Districts of Nagaur, Jaipur and Ajmer (Kaushik and Raza 2019). The Sambhar Lake is a shallow depression, it is rain fed, and receives water from a large catchment area of about 471km². The lake is fed by ephemeral streams like Mendha, Kharian, Rupnagar, and Khandel forming a large catchment area (Kumari 2021). Mendha which comes in from the north and the Rupangargh which falls into the lake from the south. The Sambhar Salt Lake is prime visiting ground for flamingo, falcon and other winter avifauna migrant which comes annually from Easr Asian, Central Asian and East African flyways (Bhatia et al., 2021). The lake provides unique climatic conditions and food availability for flocks of migratory birds.  It was declared as Ramsar site on 23 March 1990 (Bairwa et al., 2021). The wetland ecosystem is currently facing severe threats for its existence due to anthropogenic pressure, illegal salt extraction and infrastructure development nearby lake area (Naik and Sharma 2022).  That may severely affect the winter congregation of flamingo and other avian migrants and also threats to faunal diversity of the lake. The study reveals that the Sambhar Lake with increasing anthropogenic activities has become unsuitable for flamingos. There is a great need for developing an integrated conservation strategy for this important wetland to revive its status and lost glory.

Table: 1 IBA Site – Sambhar lake

RESULT AND DISCUSSION

The literature review and secondary data analysis show that approximately 100,000 water birds, chiefly flamingos, flock to this lake in winter. The majority are concentrated in the saltpan area, as some water still exists in the natural wetland. The Asian Waterfowl Census 2025 (AWC) carried out a study at Sambhar Lake in collaboration with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Wetlands International South Asia and local volunteers. The Asian Waterbird Census in Sambhar for 2025 noted a remarkable 15-fold surge in migratory birds, totalling 104,993 individuals. The AWC 2025 reported 37 species compared to 2024.

Table: 2 Check list of waterfowl at Sambhar Salt Lake (AWC 2025)

A study conducted in Oct 2025 by forest department of Rajasthan (Gothwal and Roy, 2025) in the western part of lake and reported 19 species of waterfowl. They include 6 species of winter migrant and 13 species of local water birds. Sambhar Lake is known for its strong appeal to carnivorous birds, outpacing the numbers of both herbivorous and omnivorous species. From 1994 to 1997, researchers identified 70 different bird species at the lake: 46 were carnivores, 8 were herbivores, and 16 were omnivores. In 2003, among the 51-bird species observed, 36 were carnivorous, while 4 were herbivores and 11 were omnivores. By 2013, 30 out of 43 species recorded were carnivores, along with 4 herbivores and 9 omnivores. Fast forward to 2019, and from 28 species noted, 21 were carnivores, 4 herbivores, and 3 omnivores. In 2020, there were 32 species in total, including 26 carnivores, 2 herbivores, and 4 omnivores. By 2021, of the 41 species documented, 28 were carnivorous, 4 were herbivorous, and 9 were omnivorous. The lake continues to be a preferred spot for carnivorous birds

Table 2: Check List of avifauna observed in Sambhar Lake. Partially Migrant (PM), Resident (R), Migrant (M), Vagrant (V), Least Concern (LC), Near Threatened (NT), Vulnerable (VU), Endangered (EN)