The Grey Plover, also known as the Black-bellied Plover due to its striking black face and belly in breeding plumage, is an unmistakable winter visitor to the coasts of Sri Lanka. One such Grey Plover is Vayu, tagged by the Central Asian Flyway-Sri Lanka Waterbird Tracking Project conducted by FOGSL-UoC in collaboration with the Research Centre for Eco-environmental Sciences of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Palmyrah House (Pvt) Ltd and Wetlands International.
Vayu was tagged in March 2022 by our research team led by Prof. Sampath Seneviratne in Mannar. Departing Sri Lanka by May 17th, Vayu flew through inland India, making stops in Telangana, the Ganges river in Bihar, and again in West Bengal. Crossing the mighty Himalayas from Bhutan at an elevation of 15,600 ft, it then entered the Tibetan plateau where it rested for over a week. Its next leg of the journey took it over Taklamakan, the world’s second-largest shifting sand desert, which it successfully crossed in a direct flight before coming to a stop in Kazakhstan. From there, it resumed its northward flight across the West Siberian Plain. By July 13th, Vayu had completed its northward migration, traveling 9700 km through seven countries of Asia over 57 days, stopping over to refuel eight times along the way.
Prof Sampath Seneviratna and Mrs Gayomini Panagoda placing a GPS tag
Resighting of Vayu in the Urumalei mudflat of Mannar, in 2022-05-17, just before its northward depature
Migration of Grey Plover from SL to Arctic 2
During this incredible journey, our Grey Plover encountered some of the harshest barriers for migrating birds in the world, including the Himalayas, the Tibetan plateau, the mountain chains of Kunlun Shan and Tien Shan, and the Taklamakan Desert. Despite these challenges, Vayu managed to navigate through them all. Owing to its valor, it was named after Vayu, the lord of the winds as well as the deity of breath and the spiritual father of Lord Hanuman!
The Central Asian Flyway-Sri Lanka Waterbird Tracking Project, initiated in 2020, is the first of its kind in Sri Lanka, where the long-distance movements of migrating birds are being monitored. It is also a pioneering project in South Asia, as it involves the tagging of shorebirds like the Grey Plover.
Birds are a crucial component of our ecosystems, especially wetlands. Similar to Vayu, approximately 15 million other birds migrate to Sri Lanka every year, connecting far-flung habitats across the Central Asian Flyway and aiding in maintaining ecosystems that are the lifeline of humankind. Studying their continental-scale migratory behavior immensely helps not only in conservation planning but also in sustainable development at regional and local scales.
By Gayomini Panagoda
Main Research Associate & doctoral candidate – Central Asian Flyway-Sri Lanka Waterbird Tracking Project
Prof Vayu crossing over the Taklamakan Desert
The Himalayan Crossing of Vayu-the Grey Plover
A day in Lake Alakol & the Ili RIver floodplains (2022-06-23)
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