Jaisalmer/Barmer, Sept. 26 -- A flock of 13 white storks has been spotted for the first time in a village in Jaisalmer district, ornithologists and other experts aware of the development and its implications said on Thursday. The flock was spotted on September 23 during a field survey in the Bhadariya Oran grasslands, near Dholia village, by Dr Sumit Dukia, honorary advisor to the ERDS Foundation, and Abhishek Bishnoi, a conservation volunteer associated with the Godawan Mitra group. "The presence of this flock in Dholia is clear evidence that Jaisalmer's ecology is not only resilient but also crucial for migratory species," said Dr Dukia. "With sustained conservation efforts, this region has the potential to become a major hub for bird studies and eco-tourism," he added. Experts said that Jaisalmer, along with Barmer and Bikaner, forms a vital stretch of the Central Asian Flyway, an international migratory route used by thousands of birds traveling from Europe, Mongolia, and Siberia to the Indian subcontinent. The region's cold, dry winters and traditional water-harvesting systems such as khadins and village ponds provide crucial stopovers, they added. Jaisalmer's climate plays a key role in attracting these species, experts added. Temperatures during summer (April-June) can reach 45-48degC, while the monsoon (July-September) brings scant rainfall, averaging just 150 mm. The winters (November-February) are dry and cool in contrast, with temperatures ranging between 5-20degC-ideal conditions for migratory birds escaping frozen lakes and wetlands in northern latitudes, experts added. According to environmentalist Dr Bhuvnesh Jain, the real charm of Jaisalmer lies not in the serene desert expanse dotted with havelis, but in the seasonal advent of myriad species of birds - white storks, demoiselle cranes, greater flamingos, siberian geese and the houbara bustard- all of these and more adorn the desert and draw in birdwatchers and researchers alike to the state every year, added Dr Jain. In addition to those with scholarly interest, these seasonal visitors boost the local economy by attracting thousands of bird lovers and tourists each year to Jaisalmer to witness the spectacle, providing a strong momentum to eco-tourism....