A rare bird saved at powai by alert employer of L&T with the help of PAWS-Mumbai

Monday, November 28, 2011 

 PRESS Release by 

Nisha Kunju (Administrator & PRO : PAWS-Mumbai) 

On Saturday, November 26, 2011, S. T. Jaiswal an employer at Larsen & Toubro Powai spotted a rare bird during his routine roundup. The bird was hiding in a grass but cannot fly as he was trying to capture the bird close-up photographs in his mobile camera, so he catch hold of the bird and on observation he seen that it was injured on an leg. So he contacted Plant & Animals Welfare Society – Mumbai (PAWS-Mumbai) for help. The rescue team reached the spot and taken the custody of the bird, as it was injured on one of the leg it was given first aid. As this bird was not commonly found, so we have sent the photograph for identification of the name and the detail about the bird to Bird Expert Adesh Shivkar. Who said this is a Great Record for our region. It is a rare bird species called as Watercock. I have recorded this species from Powai a couple of years back he added. On Monday as the bird become very active and wound was recovered, we first left the bird in an open place later in water pond to check the bird is possible to walk and fly, as it was fit to take-off we released in powai lake area and about it we had informed to the forest office on phone said PAWS-Mumbai Founder Sunish Subramanian

If anyone comes across as such incident you can also call PAWS-Mumbai Helpline 25968314 / 9833480388 for guidance or help.

Copyright © PAWS-Mumbai Photographs 

Double click on Photograph to view larger image

PAWS-Mumbai volunteer Nisha Kunju 

giving treatment to injured Watercock 

PAWS-Mumbai Little Volunteer Hitesh Yadav 

on his way to release bird at Powai Lake 

PAWS-Mumbai first left the bird in an open place later in water pond 

to check the bird is possible to walk and fly 

 About Watercock :

The Watercock Gallicrex cinerea is a water bird in the rail and crake family Rallidae. It is the only member of the genus Gallicrex.

Their breeding habitat is swamps across south Asia from India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka to south China, Japan and Indonesia. They nest in a dry location on the ground in marsh vegetation, laying 3-6 eggs. These large rails are mainly permanent residents throughout their range. The body of this rail is flattened laterally to allow easier passage through the reeds or undergrowth. It has long toes and a short tail.

Watercock Bird 

Adult male Watercocks are 43 cm long and weigh 476–650 g. They have mainly black-grey plumage with red legs, bill, forehead shield and horn. Young males are buff in colour, darkening as they mature. Their bill is yellow and their legs are green.

Female birds are smaller at 36 cm and 298–434 g. They are dark brown above and paler below. The plumage is streaked and barred with darker markings. The bill is yellow and the legs are green. The downy chicks are black, as with all rails.

These birds probe with their bill in mud or shallow water, also picking up food by sight. They mainly eat insects and small fish and seeds. They forage on the ground.

Watercock are quite secretive, but are sometimes seen out in the open. They are noisy birds, especially at dawn and dusk, with a loud, gulping call.

For more information & detail please call

Sunish Subramanian Kunju (Secretary : PAWS-Mumbai) on

PAWS-Mumbai helpline +91 9833480388 or Personal Cell +91 9892179542