Rare heron species observed in the Arunachal Pradesh Tiger Reserve
The White-bellied Heron, a critically endangered species with a population of about 250 worldwide, has been spotted in the Kamlanga Tiger Reserve in Arunachal Pradesh. The state’s newest reserve, a centrally funded project called Tiger, spotted the bird recently while forest workers were in the footsteps of a big cat in the center of the reserve. Experts have acknowledged that the presence of birds in the undisturbed core area has been a boon to the species as they can thrive in this habitat.
“Most importantly, we’ve seen white-bellied herons in the center. We’ve been watching birds for the past two years, but only with camera traps. . The bird was spotted on the banks of the Tawah Riverbed in the core area of the Kamlang Reserve in the last week of January.
Forest officials have said that protecting rivers by rivers and stopping illegal fishing for fishing birds has become a new challenge. The Kamlanga Reserve shares a border with the Namdaph Tiger Reserve, which also has some bird populations and forest workers who see them fairly regularly. Arunachal has three tiger sanctuaries, including Pakke.
Singh said there were no human settlements in the vast areas where the bird is believed to have habitats. “This bird actually prefers large areas that are completely untouched. We need to protect habitats that we think only tigers roam,” Singh added.
It has been found that the white-bellied heron breeds along the river towards trees and shrubs. Herons eat fish, and depending on their eating habits, Singh believed that illegal fishing should be stopped, at least in shrines. But the DFO stressed the need for species-specific research.
The elusive and extremely rare bird was observed during the assessment of tigers throughout India in 2021-2022. year, read the recent tweet from the Kamlanga Tiger Reserve. The tweet included a video of the bird lasting about 27 seconds.
“It was only thanks to the country’s ongoing Tiger project that we were able to spot the birds in the base area. If we had a targeted study, it could lead to more discovery.
In addition to the north-east, the degradation of bird habitats has also been a concern in neighboring Bhutan. Some conservationists believe that its population has fallen below 100. The Royal Society for Nature Conservation has emphasized the conservation of this species in Bhutan, as a significant number of birds can be found in the Himalayan nation. “More than half of the world’s population (an average of 14-30 individuals) is still guaranteed to thrive in the country,” wrote Tshering Tobgay, an RSPN researcher in Bhutan, on Twitter.
Rare heron species observed in the Arunachal Pradesh Tiger Reserve
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(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by News East India staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
