This article was first published In The Tribune on Oct 2, 2022
For scientists at the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), it was a ‘Eureka moment’ when they spotted ‘Bala’, the black-tailed godwit (BTG), Limosa limosa at its home base, the Thane Creek, where it had returned after its summer sojourn in Siberia.
Named after Dr S Balachandran, the eminent ornithologist who has played a key role in the ringing and tagging of nearly three lakh birds, Bala had been fitted with a GPS tag in March this year. Covering a distance of 5,000 km in 47 days since April 24, the bird reached the breeding site(s) in southwestern Siberia, Russia, on June 11.