Wildlife officials trained in studying bird behaviour

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, February 18

Foreign experts imparted training to officials of the wildlife department of the state in ringing up the migratory birds coming to the Pong Dam lake. The ringing of birds is an exercise through which the scientists can study the behaviour and breeding patterns of bird that can further help them in drawing strategies for conservation of endangered species. It is for the first time that the wildlife officials of the state are being trained to ring the birds by foreign experts.

Francis, a senior scientist from Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT), United Kingdom, while talking to The Tribune, said that in India wildlife officials do not have knowledge regarding ringing the birds. Ringing of bird in which an aluminium metal ring put on the bird is highly technical job. The ringing has to be done in such a manner that it does not disturb the natural behaviour of the bird.

He said during the two-day training at the Pong Dam reservoir wildlife officials of Himachal were trained to ring Blue Throat and Lesser White Throat bird species that migrate here from Eurasia. Besides, 200 birds of 80 local and migratory bird species were also ringed in the last two days, he said.

Tim Walker, senior scientist at British Trust for Ornithology (BTO), said ringing of birds in India at the Pong Dam reservoir was started by them under the aegis of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). “After ringing we observe the behaviour of the birds. At the initial stage it is observed if the birds revisit the Pong Dam reservoir next year or not. Then the birds which are regular visitors to the Pong Dam Lake are fitted with the GPS devices to study their migratory and breeding patterns.”

The studies can help the wildlife department in evolving strategies to conserve the bird species, he said. Kewal Singh Pathania, vice chairman of the forest corporation of Himachal who was also present on the occasion, said the state government would contemplate bringing up a permanent ringing centre for birds at the Pong Dam Lake. Foreign experts are suggesting that a permanent ringing centre with community participation can help in conserving rare bird species coming up at the Pong Dam Lake. The matter of bringing up a permanent ringing centre at Pong Dam Lake would also be taken up with Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, he said.

Chander Kumar, chairman of the OBC finance corporation of the state was also present on the occasion.

Earlier the experts in collaboration with the BNHS and wildlife department of Himachal had put rings and GPS devices on Bar Headed Goose coming in large numbers to Pong Dam wetland every year. The devices helped in tracking the migratory route of Bar Headed Goose from cold deserts of Tibet and Mangolia to Pong Dam lake.

Though the data regarding the species visiting the Pong Dam Lake is available to some research work done by here by Wildlife Conservator DS Dadwal, details regarding behaviour of over 400 bird species coming here are still unavailable. The ringing exercise carried here can also help the research scientists from universities and ornithologists in carrying out studies on bird species of the area.