Flamingos gather at Navi Mumbai lake

NewsTrail India posted a video on May 16 showing a large flock of flamingos gathered along the wetlands behind the NRI Complex in Nerul, a neighborhood in Navi Mumbai. Other Indian outlets published similar footage and reports over the next day, describing hundreds to thousands of birds standing and feeding in shallow water and mudflats near Thane Creek. The images drew attention because the birds appeared in a dense band close to an urban residential area, a setting that has become familiar during Mumbai’s annual flamingo season. Maharashtra tourism materials and Bombay Natural History Society, or BNHS, references identify the Thane Creek-Navi Mumbai wetland belt as a regular seasonal habitat for flamingos. ### Where exactly were the birds seen? Nerul’s NRI Complex was the location named in the May 16 posts and follow-up reports. Lokmat Times said the birds were seen behind the NRI Complex in Navi Mumbai’s Nerul area, while NDTV and other outlets described the gathering as taking place near wetlands and creek areas close to the same complex. (lokmattimes.com) Thane Creek is the larger wetland system tied to those sightings. Maharashtra Tourism describes the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary as a major birdwatching site in the district, and BNHS says wetlands along Palm Beach Road and TS Chanakya in Navi Mumbai regularly hold large flocks during peak migration months. ### Are these flamingos unusual for Navi Mumbai? Mumbai’s coastal wetlands host flamingos every year, according to official and conservation sources. (lokmattimes.com) Maharashtra Tourism says thousands of flamingos migrate to Thane Creek between February and May, and BNHS describes the Navi Mumbai wetland stretch as a place where Greater and Lesser Flamingos gather in shallow waters to feed. (maharashtratourism.gov.in) The May 16 sighting fits that broader pattern rather than marking a one-off arrival. Recent reports from Moneycontrol, ETV Bharat and Travel + Leisure Asia all described this month’s sightings in Navi Mumbai as part of the annual migration into the region’s mangroves, mudflats and creek edges. (maharashtratourism.gov.in) ### Why do flamingos gather in these wetlands? BNHS says flamingos feed in shallow wetland habitat by sweeping their curved bills through mud and water for algae, crustaceans and other tiny invertebrates. That feeding pattern helps explain why mudflats and tidal shallows around Thane Creek and Navi Mumbai repeatedly attract large flocks. A BNHS coastal wetlands document describes Mumbai and Navi Mumbai as important migratory bird areas because of their extensive mudflats and foraging grounds. (moneycontrol.com) The same document says those habitats face pressure from urban development, placing conservation attention on the remaining wetland patches used by birds. ### How big was the flock in the viral footage? May 16 and May 17 reports varied in their estimates, but all described a substantial gathering. (bnhs.org) Newsable referred to “hundreds” of flamingos near the creek behind the NRI Complex, while Lokmat Times, Free Press Journal, NDTV and ETV Bharat described “thousands” in the Nerul wetlands and nearby creek areas. (bnhs.org) ANI footage cited by Lokmat Times showed the birds drinking and standing closely packed in shallow water. Because the video was shot from a distance and no official count was released in the material reviewed, the most precise verified description is that a large seasonal flock gathered near the NRI Complex wetlands on May 16. (newsable.asianetnews.com) ### What do conservation groups say about these sites? BNHS said in a 2025 newsletter that high-tide roosts across Raigad and Navi Mumbai have declined since 2011, with only about half of the previously available sites still remaining. The group said those wetlands are important both for migratory bird populations and for broader conservation planning in the Navi Mumbai area. (lokmattimes.com) Earlier local reporting also showed official concern around wetland protection in Navi Mumbai. The Times of India reported in December 2024 that a flamingo lake in the area would be preserved and given round-the-clock security after repeated bird deaths and public protests. ### Where can readers look for the next verified update? (bnhs.org) NewsTrail India’s X account carried the May 16 post that circulated the video, and ANI footage was cited by at least one follow-up report. Maharashtra Tourism’s Thane district page and BNHS’s flamingo-watch materials also provide background on the Thane Creek sanctuary and Navi Mumbai viewing areas during the migration season. (lokmattimes.com) (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)