Decline in winged visitors’ number at Pong

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, February 2

There has been a decline in the number migratory birds visiting Pong Dam wetlands this year. As many as 17,000 lesser migratory birds were registered at the dam this year.

Last year, 1,27,200 birds were counted. However, this year, the census conducted in the last three days stated that 1.10 lakh birds had been registered.

DFO, Wildlife, Pong Dam, Krishan Kumar said this year, there had been an overall reduction in the number of migratory birds visiting various wetlands across India. In some wetlands, there has been up to 50 per cent reduction in the number of migratory birds. As compared to other wetlands in the country, the reduction in the number of birds visiting the dam this year was just 17,000.

As per data available with officials, there has been a considerable reduction in the number of bar headed goose. Last year, 52,530 bar headed goose were reported at the lake. It was the biggest concentration of goose in the country. However, this year, the number was just 35,000.

The DFO said there had been an increase in the number of species of birds arriving at the dam. Last year, 93 species of birds were recorded and this year, 117.

Dominant species that visit the dam are bar headed goose, common coot, northern pintail, common teal, common pochards, little cormorants, tufted pochard, northern shoveller and ruddy shelduck.

Rare species recorded in the lake are common shelduck, greater white fronted geese, black bellied tern, sarus crane, osprey and black necked stork, which are uncommon winter visitors in other Indian wetlands. Other noticeable species are great crested grebe, greylag goose, red crested pochard, ferruginous pochard, common merganser, Eurasian spoonbill, Richard’s pipit, Blyth’s pipit and many species of larks.

Most of these birds migrate from their breeding places in the trans-Himalaya region in Tibet, Central Asia, Russia and Siberia. Over the last few years, Pong Dam, also a Ramsar site, has become an ideal destination for winter sojourn for many species of migratory birds.

Over 425 species of birds, 18 species of snakes, 95 species of butterflies, 24 species of mammals, 27 species of fish have so far been recorded in Pong and that is attributed to the varied habitats, available food and extended protection by the staff of the wildlife wing involving local communities.

The Annual Waterfowl Estimation exercise was carried out in the last three days for monitoring the numerical size of the visitor migratory bird population for 2017-18 in the Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary. Experts from various organisations and bird groups, many wildlife enthusiasts, bird watchers, volunteers along with officials of the Forest Department participated in the exercise. The entire Pong Dam Lake Wildlife Sanctuary was divided into 23 sections.