ZIRO, 6 Jun: A total of 115 species of birds were sighted during the five-day ‘Ziro bird workshop’, which concluded on Sunday at the Talle Wildlife Sanctuary in Lower Subansiri district.
Organised by the Arunachal Pradesh Birding Club, in collaboration with the Hapoli forest division and Bird Count India, the workshop was conducted by Ashwin Viswanathan and Chintal Sheth.
The team uploaded 48 checklists to the online platform ‘eBird’, and prepared a ‘trip report’ that summarizes all the bird sightings made during the survey (https://ebird.org/india/tripreport/61557).
Of the many birds sighted during the workshop, the Fulvous parrotbill, the Manipur fulvetta and the Ward’s trogon were the main highlights.
Viswanathan, from Bird Count India, said, “We reconfirmed the presence of Fulvous parrotbill in the unique and endemic bamboo-pine ecosystem at Talle valley for the first time since the winter of 2012, and found multiple breeding pairs. Outside Talle valley, this species is quite difficult to see in Arunachal Pradesh.
“I strongly encourage the birdwatchers of Ziro and the forest department to survey the entire Talle Valley, of which just a tiny fraction has produced isolated treasures such as Manipur fulvetta and the parrotbill,” he said.
“I believe that this circuit has wonderful potential for well-planned bird tourism and education because it allows visitors to truly experience the many ecosystems and birdlife of Arunachal Pradesh, while also seeing special birds and the famed butterflies, moths and frogs of the region,” Ashwin added.
Koj Mama from the Arunachal Pradesh Birding Club said, “The motive of the Ziro bird walk is to spread awareness to the general mass and to educate the importance of birds and its environment. The Ziro valley is home to migratory birds of the state. Till recently, several migratory birds were spotted, including the Mandarin duck and the white-cheeked starling, which is rarely seen in other parts of India.”
