ZIRO, 18 Apr: Seven species of migratory birds were sighted during a bird walk by a team of avid bird watchers here in Lower Subansiri district recently.
These migratory birds were sighted at the traditional wet farmlands of Ziro Valley, locally known as aji, and had been unreported in the region’s bird checklist thus far.
On learning of these new avian visitors to Ziro Valley, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Ngilyang Tam and Kamle DMO Dr Tage Kanno, along with other nature enthusiasts undertook a three-hour morning bird walk to do a checklist of these migratory bird visitors to the valley.
During the walk, the team sighted a greater white-fronted goose and a black-winged stilt, which had not been previously sighted by the team. Additionally, a new unreported species, the little stint, was also sighted, bringing the total number of newly reported migratory bird species count to seven in the past one week.
A total of 21 species of various categories of birds were sighted during the bird walk. “The sightings of the greater white-fronted goose and the pied avocet, generally found in the eastern Himalayan belt, holds significant importance for Ziro Valley and the state as a whole in terms of conservation,” said Koj Mama, renowned conservationist and president of the Arunachal Pradesh Birding Club.
Mama said that the newly reported species included the Chinese pond hero, the Eurasian curlew, the pied avocet, the black-winged stilt, the greater painted snipe, the greater white-fronted goose, and the little stint.
“These remarkable bird sightings in Ziro Valley signifies the ecological significance of Ziro’s traditional farmlands as a habitat for these migratory birds, and underscores the importance of continued conservation effort in the region,” added Mama.
