Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor)

These were Half of the main reason we decided on coming to Sewri, the other half being the Greater Flamingoes. 

These birds grow upto 2 and a half to 3 feet tall. Small compared to their greater counterparts. These birds are omnivorous. They feed majorly on Algae, and it is these that give the flamingoes their pink hues. They also feed on shrimp. Their bills are specialised for filtering out their food and they feed with their head upside down. These birds, like dolphins, have an amazing ability to shut half of their body down while keeping the other half active, i.e letting half their body sleep.

Lesser Flamingoes have 2 breeding populations, one being Sub saharhan Africa and the other the west coast of India. Though these birds are numberable, they are not under least concerned in the IUCN list, but rather under Not Threatened as their population has been on the decline, primarily due to habitat destruction. 

They certainly did not seem threatened on our first visit to Sewri though. When we first reached the jetty we were disappointed, seeing not a single pink feather around. But after wandering a while we were told by an old shipwright, that the "pink birds" would come around 2 hours later. And so we waited, and came back. 12pm. 2 hours later. Not a single flamingo yet. We waited for about 15 minutes more, and just as we were about to leave, we saw them. The first flamboyance had arrived, and it was big, about 35 individuals. Well at least we thought they were a lot. But soon, they gathered, coming in huge flocks of upto a 100 at a time in swift succession, each flock being not more than a minute after the previous. By the time they had all settled down in the water, there were well over a couple of thousand flamingoes! They started feeding only once the tide was low enough, something we shouldve thought about before visiting.

So for those of you interested in Flamingo watching, they should be here till April! Heres a couple of things to know:

1. Sewri Jetty is the best place in Mumbai to watch them, having the greatest density of flamingoes.

2. Its easy to get to Sewri jetty from the station. Get to the east side of the station and get to the phata (rail crossing) thats on the side of the station away from CST. Cross the road and follow it straight in. There are signboards showing the way up ahead to flamingo point.

3. The flamingoes are best spotted, if not only during the low tide as this is when they come out to feed, while spending the high tide in the mangroves, resting. So DO NOT forget to check the tide timings of the day before heading there.

4. They also come closest to the shore near maximum low tide.

5. Photographers generally try getting as close to their subject as possible, but id strongly suggest not stepping onto the Mud flats. We tried going in, but came back disappointed after sinking to our shins in muck with just a few steps forward.