Marginal decline in migratory bird count in Pong wetland

Rajiv Mahajan

Nurpur, February 7

Amid avian influenza outbreak, a marginal decline in migratory bird count has been recorded in the Pong Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary this winter. An estimation of waterfowl, both migratory and local by the Wildlife wing of the Forest Department, was conducted recently and found their number has declined by over 7,000 against the last year’s count.

As per official information, the total number of bird count during their annual count concluded last week (on February 2) is 1,08,578 of 96 different species. Out the total number, water dependent migratory birds are 1,01,431 of 51 species and water dependent resident birds are 6,433 of 29 species whereas 714 birds of 16 other species of resident non-water dependent were also recorded. Last year the total birds count was 1,15,701

In successive years in bird count exercise, the assistance of ornithologists from Bombay natural history society, the Chandigarh bird club, the Asian waterfowl census and other bird watchers and volunteers was taken, but this year only 57 field staff members of the state Wildlife had been deployed in 26 sections of the wildlife sanctuary for counting keeping in view the pandemic guidelines and protocol for the avian influenza.

The total count of flagship dominant species ‘bar headed geese’ was counted at 40,570. The other species which have higher number of count in this year are Eurasian coot (24,163), northern pintail (12,702), common teal (8,444), little cormorant (3,649), great cormorant (3,410), greylag goose (2,297), northern shoveler (2,275) and common pochard (2138). The bird species which were found to have a noticeable count are red-necked grebe, great bittern, lesser white fronted goose, red crested pochard, ferruginous pochard, pied avocet and northern lapwing.

Most of these birds migrate from breeding places in trans-Himalayan region in Tibet, Central Asia, Russia and Siberia. The Pong Wetland spread over an area of 207 square km is also the first internationally recognised Ramsar site in the state to become an ideal destination for winter sojourn for many species of exotic migratory birds.

The Chief Warden, Wildlife, Archana Sharma, who supervised the birds count exercise, told The Tribune that the annual exercise of birds count had been undertaken under restrained conditions erupted due to the outbreak of the avian influenza first reported on December 28 last year and Covid-19 pandemic. She said the number of fortnightly birds count was 56,255, 46,941 and 54,931, respectively on December 16 January 5 and January 18 that indicated that the total birds count had declined during the peak of avian influenza outbreak, but the same had picked up thereafter following containment measures undertaken in the Pong wetland.