Bird Walk at Ganga River below Phaphamau Bridge , Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh

About Ganga River below Phaphamau Bridge

North of Prayagraj, where the Lucknow road crosses the Ganga at Phaphamau, the river spreads into a wide, braided channel. Sandbars, mudflats and floodplain stretch along it for kilometres. The landscape changes with the seasons. Monsoon floods cover everything, and as the water recedes they leave fresh islands of sand and silt, shallow side channels, grassy margins and riverside fields where farmers grow melons and vegetables on the exposed banks. Gangetic fish, turtles and freshwater crustaceans live in the river, and tamarisk scrub and old groves line the higher banks.

For birders, this stretch of the Ganga is excellent for river and sandbank birds. River Lapwings and Small Pratincoles, which nest on bare sand, gather in big flocks. Terns and gulls work the open water, and storks, herons and cormorants fish the shallows. In winter, large numbers of migrant waders feed on the mudflats. Hornbills and cuckoos call from the riverside trees. But river birds like these are increasingly threatened. Large-scale sand mining destroys the sandbars where they nest. Untreated sewage and solid waste pollute the water, and farming, cattle, people and vehicles on the banks disturb nests and chicks. New bridges, embankments and riverfront development are changing the floodplain. The River Lapwing and the River Tern are both declining. Protecting undisturbed sandbars, especially in the nesting season, is key to keeping this stretch of the Ganga alive with birds.

Bird walk Location

Common birds of Ganga River below Phaphamau Bridge

The sandbars below Phaphamau Bridge belong to the river specialists. The River Lapwing, smartly patterned in black, grey and white, gathers in noisy flocks and probably nests on the bare sand. Huge flocks of Small Pratincoles, tiny and swallow-like, wheel over the river at dusk, catching insects on the wing. The River Tern, a globally threatened species with a bright yellow bill, plunges after fish, while the Gull-billed Tern hunts over the shallows and banks. In winter, Brown-headed and Black-headed Gulls arrive from Central Asia and drift over the water. Painted Storks and Asian Openbills wade through the side channels. The mudflats come alive with migrant waders. Common Redshanks flash red legs, Common Greenshanks stride through the shallows, and Wood, Green and Common Sandpipers pick along the edges. Black-winged Stilts step delicately on pink legs, and Red-wattled Lapwings keep watch. Little Cormorants fish in groups, and Gray Herons and Great and Medium Egrets stand patiently in the shallows. The black-and-white Pied Kingfisher hovers before diving straight down. In the riverside trees, Indian Gray Hornbills fly from branch to branch, and the Pied Cuckoo calls from the scrub.