From the Arctic, northern Eurasia and wetlands of Central Asia, flocks of migratory birds undertake journeys spanning thousands of kilometres to reach Kerala’s coasts, wetlands and forests every year. Among them are Greater Sand Plover (Anarhynchus leschenaultii) and Tibetan Sand Plover (Anarhynchus atrifrons), which descend on sandy stretches of Vellanathuruthu in Kollam, and Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) and Garganey (Spatula querquedula), which winter in the wetlands of Pavumba and other waterbodies in the district. All four species are also found in other parts of the State.For decades, these seasonal visitors have arrived in large flocks between August and March. But birdwatchers who have tracked them year after year say the spectacle is gradually fading.Ampady Sugathan, a birder from Mynagappally in Kollam, has spent years documenting winter migrants across the district. During the 2025-26 migratory season, he made several early morning visits to Vellanathuruthu beach, Pavumba and other wetlands to monitor the birds. What he observed, he says, was concerning.“The shorebirds start arriving in small numbers in August and use Vellanathuruthu as a stopover during migration. But with every passing year, the number of winged visitors, including Greater Sand Plover and Tibetan Sand Plover, appears to be declining. The same trend is visible among wetland migrants as well. Some species that were regularly recorded earlier were not sighted at all in our surveys during the last season,” says Mr. Sugathan, general secretary of the Kollam Birding Battalion and State coordinator of Kerala Beachcombing, a citizen science programme that monitors shorebirds along Kerala’s coastline.His observations raise a larger question: Is Kerala witnessing a decline in migratory birds, some of which travel more than 5,000 km across countries from their breeding grounds to winter in the State?While conclusive evidence remains elusive, findings from bird censuses, long-term surveys, scientific studies and expert assessments point to a worrying trend. Several migratory species appear to be arriving in lower numbers, while others are showing marked year-to-year fluctuations.