• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Site description (2004 baseline):

The district of Bhavnagar lies to the west of the Gulf of Cambay in the Kathiawad peninsula in the State of Gujarat. The district used to hold numerous village tanks, estuaries and streams which were the main habitat for waterfowl, but many such natural habitats have been destroyed or have deteriorated in quality. However, their role is now taken over by salt pans. The saltworks have created an important habitat for wetland birds and are now being used by a great variety of species as a wintering area, which were once used by few waterfowl (Dharmakumarsinhji 1973). This new habitat serves as an important staging ground for migrant waterbirds moving along the coast.

AVIFAUNA: According to Dharmakumarsinhji (1973), Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea, Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna, Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata, Northern Pintail A. acuta, Common Teal A. crecca, Garganey A. querquedula, Spotbilled Duck A. poecilorhyncha, Wigeon A. penelope and Gadwall A. strepera were common in the salt reservoirs of Bhavnagar. This site has been selected as an IBA based on A1 and A4iii criteria. The salt pans attract hundreds of thousands of small waders, especially species belonging to Calidris, Tringa, Limosa and Numenius. Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala, Oriental White Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus, various egrets and two species of flamingos also forage in these saltpans and coastal lagoons. The only globally threatened species is the Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus. Sometimes up to 200 individuals are seen here.

OTHER KEY FAUNA: These saltpans do not have any significant population of mammals or reptiles.

Not much is known.

Key contributor: IBA Team.

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Saltpans of Bhavnagar (India). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/saltpans-of-bhavnagar-iba-india on 22/12/2024.