Pong wetland records 68% increase in number of bar-headed geese

A total of 1.15 lakh birds have migrated to the water body this season

Due to extreme winters this year, a whopping increase of over 68% has been witnessed in the number of bar-headed goose, a migratory bird, at Pong wetland.

Meanwhile, a slight jump has been recorded in the number of birds flocking to the waterbody with 1.15 lakh aerials taking shelter near it this year.

Annual waterfowl estimation survey conducted by the state wildlife department from January 30-31 in Pong reveals that the migratory birds belong to 114 species.

“While the total count is up by around 500 compared to last year, the population of bar-headed Goose, a regular visitor in the Pong, has swelled to 49,496 against 29,443 in 2018-19 — a whopping increase of over 68%,” said principal conservator of forest-cum-chief wildlife warden of Himachal Pradesh, Savita. She attributed the harsh winters for the large influx of elegant-shaped bird with two distinctive black bars across their necks. The goose is the world’s highest altitude migratory bird species. Their highest count of 71,800 was recorded in Pong in 2015, largest population of these birds anywhere across the world in a non-breeding season.

‘Total count expected to increase’

This year, other dominant species recorded in large numbers are northern pintails (12,881), Eurasian coots (10,860), common teals(7,334), common pochards (3,988), northern shoveler (2,818), great cormorants(2,121), Eurasian wigeons(1,350) and ruddy shelducks (1,028). Among the uncommon species are common shelducks (75), northern lapwings (32), common ringed plover(20), pied avocets(9), ospreys (5), black-bellied terns (5), common mergansers (4), sarus cranes (2), Eurasian curlews (2), white-tailed lapwings (1), water pipits (1), lesser white-fronted goose (1) and buff-bellied pipit (1).

The chief wildlife warden also said that of the total population, about 1.04 lakh waterfowls are of 60 migratory species, 10,377 are resident water birds of 30 species and 1,292 birds are of 24 local species. “The population of birds and the number of species is expected to increase in the coming days as the birds that have migrated further South make a stop here during the return journey to their breeding grounds,” she said.

About Pong Dam

The Pong Dam Lake constructed on Beas River in 1960 was declared a bird sanctuary in 1983 and given the status of a wetland of national importance in 1994. In 2002, it got the status of a Ramsar site, a wetland site designated to be of international importance under the Ramsar Convention. The reservoir, covering an area of 24,529 hectares with 15,662 hectares under wetland, is among the top 10 sites that attract a large number of migratory birds.

Most of the visiting birds migrate from their breeding places in the trans-Himalayan regions in Tibet, Central Asia, Russia and Siberia. Since 1988, a total of 425 bird species have been recorded in the wetland, with the good influx attributed to the varied habitats, food availability, intervention and protection practices being carried out by the wildlife authorities.

This year, about 150 experts, ornithologists, volunteers from various organisations and forest department officials participated in the two-day exercise held at Pong, one of the largest man-made wetland in the foothills of the Himalayas in Kangra valley.