Rare owls spotted near Harike

Vishav Bharti

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 13

A group of bird watchers recently spotted 10 long-eared owls near Harike sanctuary.

After Gujarat, it is the second place in the country where these owls have been spotted. According to experts, these owls, which breed in Canada, North America and Europe, are rarely seen in India. The group of owls was spotted by a group of bird watchers led by famous bird watcher Per Undeland from Sweden during his visit to Harike on December 18 last year.

“In a reference book on Indian birds, the long-eared owl is stated as ‘rare and apparently erratic’ and in another one, it is stated as ‘rare’ in India,” wrote Per Undeland in an email to The Tribune.

He said as the long-eared owl is entirely dependent on trees with a dense crown and a certain height, the forest where they spotted the owls in December 2015 must be protected, possibly by fencing the whole area.

Punjab’s former chief wildlife warden Gurmit Singh was also part of the group that spotted the owl. Following that, Gurmit wrote a letter to Financial Commissioner, Department of Forests and Wildlife Preservation, Punjab, requesting that the area be protected.

“Long-eared owl migrates in winter. So far, Harike is the second place in the country where the bird was seen three years continuously. The first time by Per Undeland, the second time by HS Sanga, a bird watcher from Rajasthan and the third time on December 18, 2015,” said Gurmit Singh.

He has requested the government that the area should be fenced with cement concrete pillars and barbed wire. “It will protect the species from the illegal entry of cattle and villagers,” he said.

“Since the area does not fall in the Harike sanctuary, fencing will help the rare long-eared owl feel more secure because the area around Harike lake is under pressure of encroachment,” said Gurmit Singh.