Birding activity off to a start as abundance of pre-monsoon rain draws winged varieties

Time of India

24-05-2025

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Pune: Birding activity has kicked off in and around the city owing to abundance of pre-monsoon showers in May.
Birders have started visiting birding hotspots like Vetal Tekdi and Pashan Lake to see heightened activity of migrants and endemic species.
The onset of rain brings abundant food for birds, and nesting activity also takes off, they said.
Aniruddha Joshi, who runs a chemical engineering business and is also an active birder, said, "There is quite a bit of birding activity at Vetal Tekdi. Birds like common hawk cuckoo, grey-bellied cuckoo, and fork-tailed drongo have been seen in and around Pune. These birds come for nesting and breeding from Southern India and have come two weeks early due to the rain."
Gaurav Shelar, who runs Shelar Farm Birding Point at Sanswad, said that birding activity has started in his area. "I have spotted crested bunting, and local red-vented bulbul has already started nesting. We usually see vernal hanging parrot and white-bellied minivet by July-August, but we expect to see them by end of June this year," he said.
Nachiket Likhite, an active birder and photographer, said that early monsoon seem to have helped birding activity.
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"Painted francolin and grey-bellied cuckoo are typically seen in June-July, but birders have already started sighting them in May. Easy availability of food is also one reason why birding activity has started early," said Likhite.
Ranjeet Rane, a birding enthusiast, said that the common hawk cuckoo and Indian pitta, a colourful seasonal migrant, have already been seen in and around Pune. "Birds are sensitive to changing weather patterns.
Some of them, like the common hawk cuckoo, signal incoming rain. We heard them in March," said Rane. Vetal Tekdi, Kumbargaon, Pashan Lake, and the city's hill ecosystem are some of the places where birding activity picks up in and around Pune.
Birds that have started to be sighted more often from May-June transition period, coupled with rain, include species of songbirds like grey-bellied cuckoo, fork-tailed drongo cuckoo, and common hawk cuckoo.
"Indian black birds, vernal hanging parrots, crested buntings, and striolated buntings also make an appearance in the rain. Some birds of prey start to appear more often, such as black eagle, red-necked falcon, and the tawny eagle.
All these birds come to the city after rain in hope of exploiting more resources for feeding opportunities and breeding," said Shamik Sathe, a birding enthusiast.
Pic courtesy: Aniruddha Joshi
Pune: Birding activity has kicked off in and around the city owing to abundance of pre-monsoon showers in May.
Birders have started visiting birding hotspots like Vetal Tekdi and Pashan Lake to see heightened activity of migrants and endemic species. The onset of rain brings abundant food for birds, and nesting activity also takes off, they said.
Aniruddha Joshi, who runs a chemical engineering business and is also an active birder, said, "There is quite a bit of birding activity at Vetal Tekdi. Birds like common hawk cuckoo, grey-bellied cuckoo, and fork-tailed drongo have been seen in and around Pune.
These birds come for nesting and breeding from Southern India and have come two weeks early due to the rain."
Gaurav Shelar, who runs Shelar Farm Birding Point at Sanswad, said that birding activity has started in his area. "I have spotted crested bunting, and local red-vented bulbul has already started nesting. We usually see vernal hanging parrot and white-bellied minivet by July-August, but we expect to see them by end of June this year," he said.
Nachiket Likhite, an active birder and photographer, said that early monsoon seem to have helped birding activity. "Painted francolin and grey-bellied cuckoo are typically seen in June-July, but birders have already started sighting them in May. Easy availability of food is also one reason why birding activity has started early," said Likhite.
Ranjeet Rane, a birding enthusiast, said that the common hawk cuckoo and Indian pitta, a colourful seasonal migrant, have already been seen in and around Pune.
"Birds are sensitive to changing weather patterns. Some of them, like the common hawk cuckoo, signal incoming rain. We heard them in March," said Rane. Vetal Tekdi, Kumbargaon, Pashan Lake, and the city's hill ecosystem are some of the places where birding activity picks up in and around Pune.
Birds that have started to be sighted more often from May-June transition period, coupled with rain, include species of songbirds like grey-bellied cuckoo, fork-tailed drongo cuckoo, and common hawk cuckoo. "Indian black birds, vernal hanging parrots, crested buntings, and striolated buntings also make an appearance in the rain. Some birds of prey start to appear more often, such as black eagle, red-necked falcon, and the tawny eagle.
All these birds come to the city after rain in hope of exploiting more resources for feeding opportunities and breeding," said Shamik Sathe, a birding enthusiast.