Flamingo numbers at the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary are expected to rise over the next two weeks, experts told mid-day, easing concerns among tourists and birdwatchers. The increase is expected as birds begin arriving from Kutch in Gujarat, where drying water bodies typically trigger their movement towards Mumbai and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

Adesh Shivkar, a naturalist and the director of Nature India Tours, said that the flamingo migration to Mumbai does not follow a fixed calendar and is largely driven by food and water availability. “This year, the monsoon extended longer than usual across Gujarat, and water remained in many wetlands. This meant algae — the flamingos’ main food source — was available for a longer period, leaving the birds with no immediate reason to move,” he said.