In a first, East Asian birds make Andaman stopover

  1. Researchers of the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have said that sighting of news species of birds on the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has increased post 2004 Indonesian Tsunami. The Zoological survey of India is a subordinate organization of the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change which works to promote the survey, exploration and research of the fauna in India.
  2. Horsfield’s Bronze Cuckoo had been spotted in the Great Nicobar Island in 2017. The bird is a native of Australia and New Guinea.
  3. In 2017, Researchers had also spotted Zappey’s Flycatcher, a song bird that breeds in China and spends the winters in the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra and Java. The bird is listed as Near Threatened in the IUCN Red list.
  4. In 2018, Javan Pond Heron had been spotted for the first time. The bird is usually found in Thailand and Cambodia. Further, Mugimaki Flycatcher, Blue-winged Pitta, Chinese Egret and the Chinese Paradise Flycatcher were also spotted for the first time.
  5. During migration, these birds use Andaman and Nicobar Islands for a few week rest before they can fly along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF). The EAAF extends from Arctic Russia and North America to the south Australian boundaries and includes the most of the East Asian regions including Andaman and Nicobar Islands.