“Wow, what a sight! I have never seen such a majestic bird,” reacted M. Basavaraj, a local, on seeing a large number of Greater Flamingos ( Phoenicopterus roseus ) and other migratory birds that have flocked to the banks of the backwaters of the Tungabhadra dam.

It is for the first time that Basavaraj has come on an expedition along with bird watchers, led by Samad Kottur, a nature lover and author of Birds of Hampi.

The team got themselves ferried in a country boat (coracle) for a distance to reach an island and trekked in ankle-deep slushy stretch to have a glimpse of the winged visitors at close quarters.

The backwaters of the Tungabhadra dam in Hagari Bommanahalli taluk of Ballari district have become a haven for migratory birds as also a popular destination for bird watchers during winter.

Greater Flamingo, a majestic bird that breeds in the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, migrates to Southern India and congregates at Pulicat in Tamil Nadu with the onset of winter.

During its to-and-fro transit, the bird halts in the backwaters of the Tungabhadra because of availability of food and the conducive atmosphere.

Bar-headed geese, Northern Pintail, Northern Shoveler, Garganey, Mallard and Brown-headed Gull, among others, have already arrived. Many more species are likely to visit during the next couple of months.

“This winter, we can see a large number of Bar-headed geese in the backwaters of the Tungabhadra dam.

Hitherto, the Bar-headed geese were congregating in large numbers at the Magadi tank in Gadag district, according to Mr. Samad Kottur.

May be, due to climate change, the water-level in the tank has come down this year and this might be the main reason for the birds to go to other places,” Mr. Samad Kottur told The Hindu .

There have been reports of these migratory birds being sighted in the Tungabhadra river in Sirguppa and Daroji tank too.