48K migratory birds throng Pong sanctuary

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, December 7

As many as 48,228 migratory birds have arrived at the Pong wetland, on the foothills of Kangra district, till December 1.

The wildlife wing of the state Forest Department completed its fortnight counting and has estimated the arrival of 50 different species.

According to Reginald Royston, Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife), Hamirpur, the main 20 species of migratory birds that arrived till November 30 at the Pong wetland are bar-headed goose (5,840), common teal (1,756), common pochard (1,340), ruddy shelduck (98), gadwall (198), northern shoveler (150), Eurasian wigeon (210), northern pintail (1,992), northern pochard (1,340), Eurasian coot (2,730), brown-headed gull (179), black-headed gull (135), white wagtail (73), citrine wagtail (52) and pallas gull (23).

Four counting teams deployed

• The wildlife wing of the state Forest Department completed its fortnight counting and has estimated the arrival of 50 different species
• The wildlife authorities have deployed four counting teams for the fortnight estimation of birds each in Nagrota Surian and Dhameta wildlife ranges covering the whole wetland area
• The annual count will be undertaken at the end of January when it is believed that the highest number of birds are at the wetland

The wildlife authorities have deployed four counting teams for the fortnight estimation of birds each in Nagrota Surian and Dhameta wildlife ranges covering the whole wetland area.

The DFO said the department had also deployed surveillance teams to conduct daily inspections of the whole wetland area to check poaching of migratory birds.

As per information, the annual count will be undertaken at the end of January when it is believed that the highest number of birds are at the wetland. At that time, special wildlife as well as outsourced teams will be deployed for this purpose.

The bar-headed species is the largest in number that throngs the wetland from other countries every winter. Migratory birds from Siberia, Mongolia, Tibet, China, Pakistan and Iraq arrive at this wetland on the onset of every winter. These birds return to their native countries in March on the onset of spring.