OT Staff & Waquar Habib
This majestic raptor with striking white plumage and grey wings is often seen soaring over coastal cliffs and beaches, especially around Havelock Island and Neil Island.
With its chestnut wings and contrasting white head, the Brahminy Kite is a common yet graceful sight, gliding over beaches like Baga, Palolem, and Morjim in Goa.
Flocks of tall pink flamingos gather near coastal mudflats and saltpans around Mandvi and the Gulf of Kutch, adding spectacular colour during their winter migration.
This long-billed wader with a bare black head and white body forages in tidal flats and wetlands adjoining Chennai’s Marina Beach, particularly noticeable at dawn and dusk.
Small and fast-moving, this brown-and-white shorebird is often spotted running across sandy shores and mudflats along Gujarat’s coastal stretches during the migratory season.
Recognisable by its mottled plumage and habit of flipping over shells and stones, the Ruddy Turnstone frequents rocky shorelines around Kovalam during its coastal stopovers.
These migratory gulls, with white bodies and brown hoods in breeding season, flock around Puri Beach in large numbers during winter, providing a lively coastal spectacle.
Sporting both grey and white morphs, this elegant coastal heron stalks shallow waters near Alibaug Beach, often seen patiently fishing in tidal pools and mangroves.