Bird Census: Winged visitors break 25-year record at Gurdaspur’s Keshopur Chhamb wetland

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[google-translator]

Good news for bird watchers as Keshopur Chhamb in Gurdaspur, one of Asia’s biggest wetlands, is teeming with winged visitors this winter. The bird count has turned out to be the highest in the last 25 years, a year after witnessing a huge drop in their number.

The final census of the birds which come from Central Asia and Siberia for this season was conducted by the Punjab wildlife department in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Chandigarh Bird Club, on February 15. The total count recorded by the teams of experts was 29,480 which is the highest in the last 25 years. Last year the number was only 11,458.

The bird count in the 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).

Birds of 63 species arrived

As per the data shared by the department, birds of a total of 63 species arrived at Keshopur Chhamb which also comprises surrounding areas like Shalla Pattan and Makora Pattan. The top five species are pintail (5726 birds), common teal (4558), northern lapwing (3634), common coot (3619) and gadwall (2254).

Divisional forest officer, wildlife, (Pathankot) Rajesh Mahajan said, “The reason behind the surge in the footfall is that we have increased activities to ensure habitat improvement. For instance, we remove moss and other green plants from the water surface. This increases surface area on water bodies for birds. Secondly, it also depends on the personal choice of birds in preferring their natural habitat. In this season, they preferred this place.”

“Three factors — food, safety and shelter — play a crucial role in attracting the birds. And we have been taking measures to improve all these facilities for the birds,” Mahajan said, adding, “All birds do not arrive at one time. One of their groups comes in advance to check the conditions. In their own way, they make other birds aware of it and gradually all arrive at the place.”

This wetland is among three wetlands from Punjab and 10 from the country, which have been declared as the Ramsar sites of international importance. Ramsar is an Iranian city, where the first Convention on Wetlands was held in 1971. From 2011 to 2020, the footfall has increased gradually at the wetland spread on 850 acres.


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