Common shelduck spotted first time in Nangal

Tribune News Service

Nangal, February 8

Common shelduck, a migratory bird, was spotted in the Nangal area for the first time during a bird survey conducted here today. The species is common in Eurasia and officials said it had never been spotted earlier in the area.

The survey was conducted jointly by the Chandigarh Bird Club, WWF India, Avian Habitat Society and NGO Jagriti in Nangal in coordination with the Ropar district wildlife department.

The survey was conducted in the Nangal Lake, NFL ash pond and the Nangal Dam downstream.

Prabhat Bhatti of NGO Jagriti, who has been monitoring birds for the last 12 years in the region said common shelduck had arrived in a very small number in the region and 35 birds of the species were found in Pong Dam.

During today’s survey in the Nangal area, four such birds were found in a flock of migratory birds in the ash pond for the first time, he said.

Bhatti further said a total of 9,159 birds, including ruddy shelduck, coot, northern shoveler, red-crested pochard and gadwall, were found during the survey.

Ropar district forest officer (wildlife) Dev Raj Sharma, WWF India reseacher Gitanjali Kanwar, Punjab Wildlife Advisory Board member Dr GS Chatha and Chandigarh Bird Club member Reema Dhillon took part in the survey.