The Conservation Action Trust (CAT), along with the state forest department, has initiated the city’s first scientific study on the flamingoes. The project is being support by Boeing India — a joint venture between the US-based Boeing Company and Tata Industries Limited, a CAT representative said.

“Boeing has already contributed $ 50,000 towards the study,” said Vivek Kulkarni, director, CAT, who is also developing the Mangrove Wetland Centre (MWC) between Bhandup and Kanjurmarg. Kulkarni said the study would be a part of the various research projects that they have undertaken in the development of the park. “We are working on three kinds of projects here — baseline monitoring, species-oriented studies and project-based studies. We now plan to develop the flamingo project as a species-oriented study.” The study will be done at places including the Airoli bridge, Mahul jetty, Sewri and Vashi jetty.

Commending CAT’s effort, state forest minister Babanrao Panchpute said, “We fully support CAT. These birds visit the city every year, and are a reflection of our habitats.”

CAT has been actively interacting with international delegates including well- known UK-based expert David Harper to get insight into the flamingo behaviour. “Recently, we received an Italian DNA scientist, Giesuppe, who has been studying the flamingoes of Kenya for long. He has found similarities in the DNA of the Kenyan birds and those found in Kutch. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities for us,” explained Kulkarni.

Birders in the city have for long expressed the need for a systematic documentation of the flamingoes. “The birds have been coming in hundreds every year, but unfortunately nobody has documented their habits, their migratory route or their breeding and feeding patterns in the city so far,” a regular visitor at the Sewri mudflat pointed out.

However, Kulkarni rued the fact that they are still not ready to do a satellite telemetry study which involves affixing a transmitter on the birds. The transmitters then emit continuous signals, which can be linked to the satellite directly.