Water birds make a beeline to Punjab’s Harike wetland

Winter migratory water birds utilizing the central Asian flyway have began making a beeline to Punjab’s Harike wetland, providing a delight for hen lovers.

Over the years, the variety of sure species has been falling. Some hen lovers and specialists are of the view that the pattern isn’t just restricted to the Harike wetland, however could possibly be witnessed throughout the county and even past. The key causes they attribute for the drop is elevated human interference of their breeding areas, local weather change and rising air and water air pollution.

Central Asian flyway

Every winter, the birds make their approach to India by way of the central Asian flyway, which covers a giant continental space of Europe-Asia between the Arctic and Indian Oceans. The Harike wetland, one of many largest in northern India, is located in Tarn Taran district and stands on the confluence of the the Beas and the Sutlej. It is residence to birds visiting from so far as the Arctic and Siberia.

Birds such because the Eurasian coot, Greylag goose, Bar-headed goose, Gadwall and the northern shoveler are the outstanding ones that could possibly be sighted at Harike. Among others species, Common Pochard, Spot-billed duck, Little Cormorant, Pied Avocet, Great Cormorant, Ferruginous Pochard, Common Teal, Black-tailed Godwit, Steppe Gull and Brown-headed Gull have been noticed in good numbers this 12 months.

“On an average, the number has been anywhere between 92,000 and 94,000 over the years. The average number has been stable,” Geetanjali Kanwar, Coordinator – Rivers, Wetlands and Water Policy, WWF-India, instructed The Hindu. “There has been no drastic fall in the number, be it of resident or migratory birds. There are several factors that influence the movement of these birds. At times, in neighbouring regions including Himachal Pradesh and Jammu-Kashmir, when the temperature falls drastically, the flow of birds rises here.

“Till December last year, around 55,000 migratory water-dependent birds from 87 species have been recorded at Harike, according to a preliminary count conducted jointly by the Wildlife wing and World Wildlife Fund-India. January is the peak season of arriving birds and we are expecting the number to be good, close to the average. The final figures will be available by the end of January,” she stated.

“These birds come here to escape harsh climate and for food. A few are dependent on vegetation. So wherever they get good food and comfortable habitat, they move to that part.”

In 2020, the depend at Harike was recorded at 91,025 — a drop of round 32,000 birds in contrast to 2019, when 1,23,128 birds visited it. In 2018, 94,771 birds had been sighted in opposition to 93,488 in 2017.

While the common quantity is secure, the matter of concern, nonetheless, is the dwindling variety of a few essential species. “The number of species such as Northern Lapwing, Pacific Golden Plover, Black-bellied Tern and Cotton Pygmy Goose species has been reducing over the years. But it’s not just in Harike. The trend is across the country and worldwide,” Ms. Kanwar stated.

Damaged settlements, breeding failures

Navjit Singh, secretary of the Avian Habitat and Wetland Society, stated a lot of those birds had their breeding grounds in Russia and neighbouring nations. “And in many of those countries oil exploration has been extensively taking place, which has damaged their settlements, resulting in breeding failures and eventually in drop of migration as well. As far as local reasons are concerned, wetlands have shrunk over the years. Encroachments in Harike could be another local reason behind the drop. Though the Forest department has been fighting against the menace, once encroachment takes place it take years to get them evicted,” stated Mr. Singh.

Dr. Neelima Jerath, Director General of the Kapurthala-based Pushpa Gujral Science City, who had extensively labored on wetland points, stated human interference, moreover air and water air pollution, could possibly be key causes behind the drop. “The Satluj river has become polluted over the years. The government though has been making efforts to reduce the pollution. Pesticide use in farms has increased in Punjab over the years, a lot of chemicals enter the water bodies. Climate change could be another reason,” she stated.

R.K. Mishra, APCCF (Chief Wildlife Warden) of Punjab, additionally listed the identical causes.