What Happened
- A tagged Sanderling (a shorebird) photographed on Narcondam Island in the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago has been confirmed to have flown 7,472 km from its tagging site at Brown Bay, South Australia
- The bird was tagged on April 13, 2025, by ornithologist Maureen Christie in Australia, and photographed two months and three days later (June 2025) on Narcondam Island
- The photograph was taken by G. Thikanna, an Assistant Sub-Inspector with the Andaman Police, during his posting on the island
- Dr Raju Kasambe, former Assistant Director of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), identified the bird using its red flag (code: 'DYM') and yellow tag
- This marks the first recorded re-sighting of a tagged bird on Narcondam Island
Static Topic Bridges
Sanderling: Species Profile and Migratory Behaviour
The Sanderling (Calidris alba) is a small wader belonging to the sandpiper family (Scolopacidae). It is one of the most cosmopolitan shorebirds, found on sandy beaches across all continents except Antarctica during migration.
- Weight: 40–100 grams; wingspan: 35–39 cm
- Breeds in the high Arctic (northern Canada, Greenland, Siberia) during summer
- Undertakes one of the longest migrations of any bird — Arctic breeding grounds to Southern Hemisphere wintering grounds
- Follows the East Asian-Australasian Flyway — a major bird migration route spanning Arctic to Australia/New Zealand
- Known for characteristic "chasing waves" feeding behaviour on sandy beaches
- IUCN Status: Least Concern, but declining in some migratory flyways
Connection to this news: The Andaman Islands lie along this major flyway; the sighting during the bird's northward return journey (Australia → Arctic) confirms the Andamans as a stopover point for this international migration route.
Narcondam Island: Geography and Ecological Significance
Narcondam is a small volcanic island in the northeastern part of the Andaman Sea, approximately 120 km northeast of the main Andaman Islands. It is one of the most remote and ecologically pristine islands in India.
- Area: ~6.8 km²; highest point: ~710 m (volcanic peak)
- Only about 12 personnel (Andaman Police) are stationed on the island — it is essentially uninhabited
- Home to the Narcondam Hornbill (Rhyticeros narcondami) — critically endemic species found nowhere else on Earth
- Declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1977
- The island's remoteness makes it ecologically valuable — minimal human disturbance supports high biodiversity
- Administratively part of Andaman and Nicobar Islands UT
Connection to this news: The fact that a police officer stationed on this remote island documented the sighting highlights how citizen-scientists and non-specialists contribute significantly to ornithological research.
Bird Migration Routes and Flyways
Migratory birds travel along well-defined corridors called flyways. Eight major flyways exist globally. India lies along three: the Central Asian Flyway, the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, and the East Atlantic Flyway.
- East Asian-Australasian Flyway (EAAF): One of the world's most important — spans from Arctic Russia/Alaska through East/Southeast Asia to Australia and New Zealand
- India's coastline, wetlands, and island chains are critical stopovers for millions of migratory shorebirds along the EAAF
- India is a signatory to the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS), which mandates conservation of migratory birds and their habitats
- Bird-banding and flag-tagging programs (like the one in Australia) are run under international cooperation frameworks to track migration routes
- The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) coordinates India's bird-ringing program
Connection to this news: The successful re-sighting on Narcondam validates the use of lightweight flag-tagging to track long-distance migratory routes and contributes data to the international effort to conserve shorebird habitats across flyways.
Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS)
The BNHS is one of India's oldest and largest non-governmental organisations involved in conservation, research, and education. Founded in 1883, it is headquartered in Mumbai.
- Established in 1883; over 140 years of documented natural history research
- Maintains India's largest natural history collection: 28,000+ bird specimens, 30,000+ mammal specimens, extensive insect collection
- Runs the Bird Migration Research Centre at Andaman and Nicobar Islands — making the Andamans a critical node for migration research
- Co-publishes the Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, India's oldest natural history journal
- Partners with BirdLife International — the global bird conservation network
Connection to this news: Dr Kasambe's role in identifying the tagged bird from photographs shared across bird-watcher networks exemplifies the collaborative model of citizen science + expert verification that BNHS helps coordinate.
Key Facts & Data
- Species: Sanderling (Calidris alba) — shorebird of sandpiper family
- Distance covered: 7,472 km (Brown Bay, South Australia → Narcondam Island, Andamans)
- Tagged: April 13, 2025, by Maureen Christie, South Australia
- Spotted: June 2025 on Narcondam Island (first re-sighting of any tagged bird here)
- Photographer: G. Thikanna, Assistant Sub-Inspector, Andaman Police
- Identifier: Dr Raju Kasambe, former Asst. Director, BNHS
- Tag description: Red flag with code 'DYM' + yellow tag
- Narcondam Island: ~6.8 km², volcanic, Wildlife Sanctuary since 1977; home to endemic Narcondam Hornbill
- Sanderling weight: 40–100 grams