Ahmedabad: A tagged winged visitor at a village near Nalsarovar has stirred excitement among birders and conservationists. The bird, an Indian skimmer, may have made its first journey to Gujarat after its tagging in May this year at Chambal River, Madhya Pradesh. Tagged as 45T, the bird took a 1,000 km journey to water-filled farmlands in Bhaskarpara near Nalsarovar where it was seen among a flock of 20 other Indian skimmers.Its sighting assumes significance as it will offer more insights into the movement of this endangered species beyond lowlands around Nalsarovar, which are its breeding grounds.Birders who visited the site in early Aug on information from guide Anwar Sama photographed several birds sitting and flying around a small sand island surrounded by knee-deep water brought in by the recent heavy rain.Birder Nikhil Joshi said that while examining photographs later, he noticed a tag on the leg of one bird. Further photographs revealed the identification as 45T. The details were shared with BNHS Riverine Species Conservation team, which confirmed that the bird had been tagged at Chambal River in May this year, during the nesting season. It was then recorded at Bhaskarpara between Aug 3 and Aug 15.The Indian skimmer (Rynchops albicollis) typically inhabits large lowland rivers, lakes and wetlands. During the breeding season, it congregates on exposed sandbars and river islands, and moves towards mudflats and large bays at other times.The species has suffered a major decline because of habitat loss, river damming, altered water flows, predation and disturbance at nesting sites. Its global population is estimated at only about 2,450–3,000 mature individuals, with India supporting more than 90% of the breeding population.