Abdul Wahab Khan
Panaji
There is good news to share on the occasion of the World Migratory Bird Day, which is observed on May 9. Researchers have documented four new seabird records for Goa, shedding fresh light on the state’s marine biodiversity and the impact of extreme weather events on migratory species.
The newly recorded birds are the Short-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna tenuirostris), Wedge-tailed Shearwater (Ardenna pacifica), White-tailed Tropicbird (Phaethon lepturus), and Lesser Noddy (Anous tenuirostris).
The findings were published in the 2025 edition of Marine Ornithology.
According to the study, torrential monsoon rains and stormy weather during June and July 2024 forced several pelagic seabirds inland along Goa’s coastline. The paper noted “these pelagic birds were wind-blown and found stranded along the coastline”. They were taken to ReefWatch Marine Conservation’s centre in Benaulim.
The researchers documented the occurrence and identification of each species in detail. The first significant record came on June 3, 2024, when an adult male Short-tailed Shearwater was found stranded at Colva beach in poor condition. The study described the bird as “sooty brown in colour with a small squarish head, steep forehead, short and thick neck, short bill, pale grey underwing coverts, and a short-rounded tail.” Unfortunately, the bird succumbed days later due to suspected hypothermia and infection complications.
Another major sighting occurred on July 23 at Galgibag beach, where a dead Wedge-tailed Shearwater specimen was recovered.
The researchers identified it by its “distinctive wedge-shaped tail, and pale, stout pinkish beak with prominent dark tip.”
The paper observed that weather-related vagrancy may have contributed to the unusual appearance of the species in Goa.
On July 6, lifeguards rescued an exhausted White-tailed Tropicbird at Colva beach. The study recorded its “predominantly white plumage with black tips on its wings” and distinctive diagonal black wing bars. The species, considered among the rare tropical seabirds of Indian waters, later died from severe parasite infestation.
The Lesser Noddy, a tropical tern largely associated with the Seychelles and Chagos archipelagos, was documented multiple times in Goa between July and August 2024. One sub-adult bird rescued at Galgibag beach was initially mistaken for a Brown Noddy before photographic analysis confirmed its identity. The research team described the species as having “uniformly dark brownish upperparts, pale lores, and a pale cap that blended evenly into the greyish sides of the head”.
Birdwatchers later observed a live Lesser Noddy in its natural habitat at Baga in North Goa on August 29, suggesting that at least some displaced seabirds survived the severe weather conditions.
The findings were published in the 2025 edition of Marine Ornithology in a paper authored by researchers Rupali Pandit of the department of zoology, Government College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Quepem; Omkar Damle of ReefWatch Marine Conservation, Mumbai; Aniket P Naik Gaonkar of the forest division, Mizoram; Ankit Kumar and Mangirish Dharwadkar of the Goa Forest Department.
The researchers noted that these discoveries were absent from Goa’s avifaunal checklist until last year, making the findings particularly significant for ornithological documentation in the state. They credited the rescue efforts of beach lifeguards, the Goa Forest Department, ReefWatch Marine Conservation, Marine Drishti, Coastal Foundation, and volunteers involved in the Goa Marine Megafauna Stranding Network.
