The Asian Waterbird Census 2026 has sounded a major ecological alarm for the National Capital Region, reporting a sharp decline in both the population and diversity of migratory birds. The findings highlight a troubling trend in two of the region’s most vital ecosystems, specifically the Surajpur Wetland in Greater Noida and the Yamuna riverine wetlands.
According to the latest data, the Surajpur Wetland saw its bird count drop from 3,137 individuals across 37 species in 2023 to just 2,633 individuals belonging to 31 species in 2026. The situation is even more dire at the Yamuna wetland, where the count plummeted from 2,451 birds in 2023 to a mere 1,564 birds this year, representing a loss of nearly a third of the visiting population.
Experts, including TK Roy, the Delhi state coordinator for the census, point toward a combination of human intervention and habitat mismanagement as the primary drivers of this decline. The Yamuna is currently receiving sewage and chemical discharge from 21 different drains, creating a level of toxicity that has largely wiped out the aquatic life and fish populations serving as the primary food source for waterbirds.
At Surajpur, local interference with natural streams caused the wetland to dry up temporarily, and while a new channel was opened by the forest department, the water flowing through it is now highly polluted. Furthermore, a delayed monsoon followed by a late onset of winter disrupted traditional migratory timelines, meaning that with the exception of the Greylag Geese, most species arrived much later than usual.
Increased human disturbance has also played a significant role, as tourism and local activity have stripped these habitats of the serenity that migratory birds require for survival. This has forced sensitive species like the Bar-headed Geese to abandon the sites, with their numbers at Surajpur falling from 150 in 2025 to just 21 this year.
While the overall numbers are down, the census recorded a strange increase in certain long-distance migratory species; for instance, the Northern Shoveler population rose from 123 to 404, and the Northern Pintail increased from 40 to 295. However, these gains were overshadowed by the collapse of other varieties such as the Common Coot, which saw its numbers halved.
The Asian Waterbird Census, now in its 40th year, serves as a vital indicator of the health of wetlands across 27 countries. The current data from NCR underscores an urgent need for the restoration of water quality and the strict regulation of human activity within protected forest zones. Without immediate intervention to clean the feeding grounds and secure the nesting habitats, the region risks the permanent loss of these international avian visitors that have for decades defined the winter landscape of Delhi and Noida.