Long-billed plover sighted in Amravati

NAGPUR: The Wildlife & Environment Conservation Society (WECS), Amravati, has recorded first sighting of long-billed plover. This is the first sighting of the bird in Maharashtra and possibly in entire peninsular India.

"The WECS volunteers recorded the bird during its 'Bird back migration study programme'. As per available literature and latest information, the bird has never been sighted in Maharashtra before," said Jayant Wadatkar, honorary wildlife warden of Amravati.

Wadatkar said long-billed plover usually bred in Arunachal Pradesh. There have been a few reports about the birds being sighted near Delhi, Andamans, Nepal and even Sri Lanka.

The plover was sighted at Kekatpur lake by WECS volunteers Kiran More, Ninad Abhang, Jayant Wadatkar, Gajanan Wagh and Gaurav Kadu, all from Amravati.

"Though the bird was sighted in April first week, we took sufficient time for confirmation. The reason was that another bird, little ring plover, is a common migrant across the country and looks similar to the long-billed," said Wadatkar. However, the one identified as long-billed plover was big in size. It is a winter visitor to northern India.