Vulnerable Sharp-Tailed Sandpiper Spotted at Najafgarh Jheel

Gist A rare migratory bird, the sharp-tailed sandpiper , was recently sighted at Najafgarh Jheel in the Delhi-NCR region. This marks only the fifth recorded sighting of the species in India over a span of nearly 150 years. For civil services aspirants, this development highlights the critical role of urban wetlands situated along the Central Asian Flyway and brings into focus the conservation status and migratory vulnerabilities of avian species. Background The sharp-tailed sandpiper Calidris acuminata is a migratory wader that breeds in northern Siberia from the Lena river delta to the Kolyma region . During the winter, it migrates southward primarily over East Asia to reach its main non-breeding grounds in Australia , New Zealand , and Melanesia . Because its standard migration route bypasses the Indian subcontinent—it rarely flies south over Kashmir—sightings in India are exceptionally rare. The bird relies heavily on both coastal and inland wetlands, including freshwater and hypersaline habitats, utilizing stopover sites along its migration route to forage and rest. Key Pointers Ecological value of urban wetlands: The sighting at Najafgarh Jheel underscores that marshlands…