Bird count at Keshopur wetland drops 40%; another census likely in February
AMRITSAR : Contrary to expectations, the number of migratory birds at the Keshopur Chhamb wetland, one of Asia’s biggest in Gurdaspur district, had dipped to an eight-year low of 13,458 in the final census of this winter season.
As per the census conducted by Punjab Wildlife Department in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Chandigarh Bird Club and Jagriti Sansthan Ropar, birds counted on January 17 during the final census were 13,458.
The bird count in previous years has been 16,800 (2014), 20,500 (2015), 25,306 (2016), 21,182 (2017), 22,691 (2018), 20,883 (2019) and 23,018 (2020).
The count in the previous fortnight department census conducted on December 30 was 21,466 and this was expected to increase, but it has dipped.
Due to the unexpected outcome, Punjab wildlife officials plan another census in the first week of next month.
“We count the birds when they sit or flutter in their natural habitat, the water surface of the reservoir. Usually, these days are foggy in which birds prefer to stay in their habitat. However, the day we chose for the final census was sunny after a number of foggy days. We are presuming that many birds flew away in the search of food in surrounding areas. This could have led to such a low count. Otherwise, the count would not have been so low,” claimed Rajesh Mahajan, divisional forest officer, wildlife, Pathankot range.
He added, “The reservoir is short of water over previous years due to low rain leading to the low number. Other wetlands, including Harika Pattan, have also shown this trend. Low footfall is being seen as an overall trend in the wetlands of northern region.”
Gitanjali Kanwar, coordinator of aquatic biodiversity in the WWF, who took part in the census, said, “Keshopur Chhamb is dependent on rain and no river contributes to it. Last year saw poor rainfall before the winter season, which meant water bodies dried up, and making birds’ arrival go down. Though the number has gone down, attendance of almost all the species has remained intact.”
Mahajan also said, “Important species spotted during census included Northern Lapwing, Painted Stork, Woolly Necked Stork, Sarus Crane, Steppe Eagle, Pallid Harri and Greater Spotted Eagle. Coot, Gadwal, Common Teal, Pintail and Indian Moorhen”.
This wetland is among three wetlands from Punjab and 10 from the country, which have been declared as Ramsar sites of international importance. Ramsar is an Iranian city, where the first Convention on Wetlands was held in 1971. From 2011 to 2020, footfall has increased gradually at the wetland spread on 850 acre.
The government has been taking measures to improve this site as the habitat of migratory birds from Central Asia and Siberia.