Garbage dumping in Bengaluru’s lakes turns fatal for Indian darters

Birders and animal rescuers are noticing a sharp increase in the number of birds in distress at the city’s many lakes

Updated - August 29, 2026 05:00 pm IST - Bengaluru

A darter with cloth stuck in its beak | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Renuka Selvamani, a birder and bird photographer, has noticed a strange phenomenon at her regular haunt, Doddanekundi Lake. “I am seeing more cases of birds in distress,” she says, pointing out that the culprit is trash dumped by humans. The Oriental or Indian darter (Anhinga melanogaster), also known as the snakebird, a tropical water bird with a long, slender neck and a sharp, spear-like beak that it uses to impale fish, seems to be afflicted more than others, Renuka says.

“The darters are very sensitive because of their beaks, which get entangled in waste, such as the net used to pack onions,” explains Renuka, who works as a data scientist with the Expedia Group. She adds that when this happens, they cannot hunt or feed themselves, and end up starving to death. “I have seen three birds whose beaks have been tied like this,” she says.

And this is not happening only at Doddanekundi Lake. According to Jayanthi Kallam, the Executive Director of the Avian and Reptile Rehabilitation Centre (ARRC) in Horamavu, there is a surge in the number of darters in distress reported from at least 10 lakes in the city. She points out that there have been sightings at lakes like Doddanekundi, Jakkur, Yelahanka, Rachenahalli, Hesarghatta, Sampengahalli, Lalbagh and Chelkere, among others.

A rescue operation in progress | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

While the issue itself is not a new one — the darters’ pointed beaks, adapted to spear fish, have always been vulnerable to the large quantities of garbage regularly dumped in the city’s water bodies — the number of birds in distress that have been spotted has gone up considerably this year, says Jayanthi. “We would get a couple of birds every year. But this year we are seeing a sudden surge in the numbers,” she says, adding that ARRC now sees at least one case every week. “Also, a lot of bird watching groups and lake groups are reporting more and more sightings.”

Certain types of garbage seem to be causing most of the danger, says Jayanthi: plastic wrappers or bags, discarded fishing nets and puja items. “People who discard puja cloth don’t even realise the dangers of it, but these tiny pieces of cloth, bright in colour, end up attracting the birds,” she says. Their beaks get tangled in these bits of cloth, and they can’t remove them. “Unlike some birds, like raptors, for instance, who can lift their legs and clean their beak, darters are not built like that. They will wiggle and shake their head, but it is very difficult for them to get something out once it is stuck.”

Darters’ are more vulnerable to rubbish because of the shape of their beak | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Additionally, since they are flighted birds, rescuing them also becomes difficult. “We have a team dedicated to this…use a motorised boat, drone tracking and binoculars. But because these are flighted birds, if you intervene too soon, they simply go away.” While they have rescued some birds, they would be in an extremely weak and emaciated condition by the time they are rescued, says Jayanthi.

A bird that has starved to death | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Some birdwatchers are now planning a poster campaign to raise awareness about the issue. “I am still in talks with local nature groups and trying to figure out permissions,” says Praveen, an avid birder from the city. As someone who has seen several dead birds and spoken to other birders who have also noticed this trend, he believes it is important to educate people about the pressing issue. “We are trying to set up awareness posters highlighting the problem, possible cause and solution,” he says

Published - August 29, 2026 04:59 pm IST

Terms & conditions | Institutional Subscriber

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.