2 rare bird species sighted at Renuka Ji wildlife sanctuary

Ambika Sharma

Solan, February 3

Two new feathery visitors, Baikal Teal and Orange-Bellied leafbird, have been sighted at Renuka Ji wildlife sanctuary during this winter migratory bird season. This is the first such sighting of two rare birds in Himachal Pradesh.

Baikal Teal

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• Baikal Teal is larger than the common teal with characteristic green nape and yellow black auricular, neck and throat
• The habitat preference of this species is wetland and marshy areas where it can feed on microflora in lake ecosystem

At a time when environmental degradation is posing a threat to the flora and fauna, sighting of new birds points to the changing habitat of the birds.

Both these sightings were made by Renuka Ji wildlife range team during the avian monitoring exercise conducted on January 21. The team led by N Ravisankar, Deputy Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), and Virender Sharma, forest guard, captured the birds in his camera.

Baikal Teal breeds in the far-east on the edges of Tundra and has made its way through the Asian flyway to reach Renuka Ji wetland.

N Ravinshankar, DCF (Wildlife) said, “Baikal Teal is larger than the common teal with characteristic green nape and yellow black auricular, neck and throat.”

“The sighting of this species is rare in India. This is the first record of the bird in the state. The habitat preference of this species is wetland and marshy areas where it can feed on microflora in lake ecosystem,” he added.

This exercise is conducted every year during the winter when the birds migrate and would continue till the month-end.

Orange-bellied leafbird is the other species sighted for the first time in the state. Its characteristic habitat is in the North-East India. As the bird feeds on nectar, it was spotted on the bottlebrush plant.

N Ravinshankar said that, “The presence of new avifauna in the Renuka Ji Lake and sanctuary is key from migratory avifauna point of view as it shows a wider habitat range of species. This also points to the mosaic habitat of Renuka Ji Lake area being able to attract new birds and provide necessary forage for them.”

Siberian rubythroat, green-tailed sunbird, small niltava, fire-tailed sunbird and water rail are some of the bird species spotted for first time in Renuka Ji Lake and the wildlife sanctuary in the recent past.