ZIRO, 16 Jan: At least 30 different bird species were recorded during the 11th ‘Ziro bird walk’ at Siikhe Lake near Hapoli town in Lower Subansiri district on Saturday.
Various migratory birds, including the mallard, the garganey, the gadwal, the common teal and some endemic and winter birds like the blue whistling thrush, the striated laughing thrush, the Himalayan buzzard, the dusty warbler and the little bunting were spotted by a group of bird enthusiasts, including schoolchildren from Ziro and Itanagar.
The weekly event, which was initiated by the members of the Arunachal Pradesh Birding Club (APBC), under the guidance of ex-divisional forest officer Koj Rinya, was suspended for nearly a year in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
It was re-launched on Saturday morning at Siikhe Lake under the guidance of Hapoli DFO Abhinav Kumar, in the presence of Harsh Raj Wathore (IFS).
The objectives of the ‘Ziro birds walk’ are to spread awareness among the locals and make them understand the importance of birds in maintaining the ecosystem.
So far, 331 bird species have been identified in the Ziro valley, informed APBC president Koj Mama.
Members of NGO Ngunu Ziro, Assam’s Duliajan-based Oil India Limited’s senior officer Krishna G Insau, who is also an amateur bird-watcher, and Wathore participated in the event, which was led by birdwatcher and wildlife photographer Millo Tako.
