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The Maharashtra Government has approved the development of a ?45-crore Eco-Nature Park at the Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS), which will feature India's first Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered bird detection and monitoring centre.

What is the AI-Based Monitoring System?

The sanctuary will deploy AI-enabled cameras and monitoring systems to automatically identify bird species, monitor migration patterns, and generate scientific data.

Using image and sound recognition, the system will analyse bird activity across a 1.5-km stretch, enabling real-time monitoring and improving biodiversity conservation and research.

About Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary

• The Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary (TCFS) is located between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai along the Thane Creek. It was declared a Wildlife Sanctuary in 2015 and is India's first dedicated flamingo sanctuary.
• The sanctuary is an important coastal wetland ecosystem, supporting thousands of migratory flamingos and over 200 species of birds, including herons, egrets, kingfishers, and shorebirds.
• It also lies along the Central Asian Flyway, an important migratory route connecting Europe, Central Asia, and the Indian subcontinent.

About Flamingos

Flamingos are large wading birds recognised by their long legs, long S-shaped neck, and distinctive pink plumage. They inhabit shallow wetlands, mudflats, salt pans, saline lagoons, and alkaline lakes, where they feed on algae, molluscs, and crustaceans.

Their pink or orange colouration is derived from carotenoid pigments present in their diet.

Globally, there are six species of flamingos, while India is home to two species:

• Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus)
• Lesser Flamingo (Phoeniconaias minor)

Threats

Flamingo populations are threatened by wetland degradation, pollution, coastal development, human disturbance, and changes in water quality, all of which affect their feeding and breeding habitats.