Khan was on a routine go to to Kalba on Tuesday morning when he astonishingly discovered the lower than four-month-old Sanderling
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A young wading hen with only one leg has been sighted at Kalba Beach, evoking awe and shock.
Local wildlife professional Mohammad Reza Khan stated he was on a routine go to to Kalba on Tuesday morning when he astonishingly discovered the lower than four-month-old Sanderling.
The hen was flying and feeding with none obvious points regardless of having travelled roughly 5,000 kilometres from the Arctic Circle.
“Birds depend upon their wings for flight, however their legs play an important position in take-off and touchdown,” defined Khan.
“For Sanderlings, legs play an even more important part as they must swiftly run towards the water when waves pull back, searching for tiny crabs in the wet sand. Their rapid movements blur their legs as they scurry back and forth on the beach, probing for prey left behind by the retreating waves. I am amazed [at] how this tiny bird is managing all these activities with just one leg after travelling from the Arctic circle to the East Coast of the UAE,” stated Khan marvelling on the hen’s resilience.
Sanderlings, categorized as medium-sized ‘peep’ sandpipers, are simply recognised by their pale nonbreeding plumage, black legs, and invoice, coupled with their behavior of chasing waves.
Adults depart the breeding grounds early, leaving young birds emigrate on their very own.
Reza Khan reckons this chick was hatched in July and migrated from a rustic within the Arctic area earlier than arriving in Kalba enroute to the Red Sea Coast.
It stays unsure whether or not the hen was born with one leg or misplaced it on account of harm, though Khan leans towards the previous because the extra possible state of affairs.
“Sanderlings are voracious eaters, consuming a diverse range of small creatures on the beach, including sand crabs, amphipods, isopods, insects, marine worms. Doing all this with just one leg in a place where food is scarce is no small feat,” stated Khan.
“Salute to you Sanderling,” Khan stated in a LinkedIn submit, Khan commending its spirit, braveness, and willpower throughout its flight to Kalba. He prolonged nicely needs for a protected journey south and a return journey by March, because the hen heads again in the direction of the Arctic.
The title Sanderling comes from Old English, which means “sand-ploughman.” Its genus title, derived from Ancient Greek, refers to grey-colored waterside birds. The particular title, alba, is Latin for “white.” In its class of small wanderers, the Sanderling is understood for being the whitest.
Did
- In some cultures, one-legged birds symbolise life’s impermanence, urging us to embrace the fleeting nature of existence and discover steadiness amid challenges.
- Sanderlings are passage migrants and stay within the UAE for just a few days– usually just some hours, very similar to transit passengers
- The UAE welcomes practically two million feathered mates yearly, in response to the Environment Agency Abu Dhabi (EAD), which runs a long-term conservation and monitoring programme to observe migratory birds.
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