Nearly 14 migratory species, usually seen during winter, have been spotted by ornithologists at Sambhar Lake, the largest inland saline waterbody in Rajasthan.

Listed as an Important Bird & Biodiversity Area (IBA) in 2004, the erratic monsoon in the last few years coupled with climate change have seen the number of migratory birds, which usually start arriving in October, dwindle.

This year, the above average monsoon after many years has seen the lake fill up in many areas. Smaller freshwater wetlands, adjacent to the Sambhar Lake, have also revived. But the early arrival of both long-distance and local migratory birds has left ornithologists scratching their heads for possible reasons.

Some of the notable arrivals spotted in Sambhar include the lesser flamingo, greater flamingo, ruddy turnstone, Eurasian spoonbill, river tern, great shank and ruff. The lake has a periphery of about 100km.

"The fast changing climatic conditions in their native lands have forced these birds to arrive early. In many countries, climate change has affected their habitats and they are looking for new areas. Only time will tell if these birds will come early every year. They may have come this year on an experimental basis," said T K Roy, conservationist and ornithologist.

The excess rain will also help authorities maintain the status of this wetland habitat of migratory birds. To retain the status of Ramsar Site, the area requires a congregation of about 20,000 birds at a time.

Besides, the expected rise in water bird population will help to create awareness on conserving this important wetland.

The birds, which require abundant blue-green and red algae along with small insects and small fish to sustain them, had literally stopped coming in recent years due to shrinking waterbodies.