Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary Emerges As Black-necked Stork Breeding Stronghold In Gujarat

The Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary in Jamnagar, a Ramsar-designated wetland in Gujarat, has emerged as an important breeding habitat for the Black-necked Stork (Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus), according to a new scientific study by researchers from the Gujarat Ecological Education and Research (GEER) Foundation.

The study, conducted between July 2024 and March 2025 and published in the peer-reviewed Journal of Threatened Taxa, assessed the species’ population status, breeding ecology, nest-site characteristics and reproductive performance at the sanctuary.

Researchers confirmed four active Black-necked Stork nests, with each breeding pair successfully producing two fledglings. This resulted in eight juveniles, while five regularly observed non-breeding adults took the sanctuary’s peak seasonal population to 21 birds during the study period.

Four nests recorded, all produced fledglings

Researchers carried out field surveys across the sanctuary using 48 georeferenced sampling points spread across eight management zones. The study involved nest monitoring, behavioural observations and habitat assessments, generating more than 320 hours of observation data.

All four nests were built on Neltuma juliflora, formerly known as Prosopis juliflora and commonly called gando baval, at heights ranging from 3 to 4.5 metres.

The study found that the species can adapt to structurally suitable invasive trees for nesting where native nesting trees are limited.

Shallow wetlands provide ideal breeding conditions

The four nesting sites shared several ecological characteristics. They were located near shallow wetlands with water depths of 0.3 to 0.7 metres, surrounded by open water, emergent vegetation and elevated ground.

These conditions provide feeding opportunities for the storks, with available prey including fish, amphibians, crustaceans and aquatic invertebrates.

Researchers said suitable feeding grounds, aquatic prey, nesting trees, shallow water, vegetation and relatively undisturbed areas are all important for the species’ successful breeding.

Breeding cycle begins in August

According to the study, breeding behaviour began with changes in August and September, followed by nest construction in early October.

Egg hatching took place between late October and early November, while intensive chick-rearing continued through December. The breeding cycle concluded with fledging by the end of the year.

Parents showed coordinated care

The study also recorded strong parental care among the Black-necked Storks.

During 89 nest-monitoring visits, adult storks were observed attending their nests for an average of 62 minutes per visit.

In 94% of observed foraging departures, one parent returned to replace the other at the nest, indicating coordinated biparental care.

Researchers recorded no cases of nest abandonment, predation or chick mortality during the monitoring period. All four monitored nests produced fledglings, resulting in a 100% fledging success rate.

Juveniles were also observed continuing to depend on their parents after leaving the nests, including through begging and food-sharing interactions.

Khijadiya lies along Central Asian Flyway

The findings further highlight the ecological importance of Khijadiya Bird Sanctuary, which lies along the Central Asian Flyway and contains a combination of freshwater and saline habitats.

The sanctuary supports a wide range of resident and migratory waterbirds and has now been identified in the study as an important breeding stronghold for the Black-necked Stork in western India.

The Black-necked Stork is listed under Schedule II of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, following the Wild Life (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022.