[ Koj Mama ]
Siikhe Lake is located approximately 12 km from Ziro, the district headquarters of Lower Subansiri district. This artificial lake was developed as a visionary initiative by former minister Tage Taki, primarily aimed at facilitating groundwater recharge. Notably, the site was once a wetland rice field before its transformation into a lake.
Since its establishment, Siikhe Lake has evolved into an important habitat for both migratory and resident bird species. Every year, more than 15 species of birds have been recorded at the lake, including the iconic Mandarin duck, which has attracted significant attention from birdwatchers and conservationists.
The lake consistently hosts a variety of migratory waterbirds during the peak migration season and has also become one of the most preferred tourist destinations in the district.
Since 2019, a team from Ziro Birds Walk has been actively monitoring bird migration and conducting waterbird population counts during the peak season from November to May. These efforts are carried out with the support of the Siikhe Multipurpose Society, which serves as the caretaker of the lake.
The first official waterbird census was conducted in 2019 with eminent birders from Assam, Prof Ranjan Kumar Das and Manash Pritam. In the same year, Prof Daniel Mize, who teaches ornithology, wildlife, and ecology in the zoology department of Rajiv Gandhi University, conducted research on the influence of season and altitude on bird community diversity and composition, migration patterns, spatial range, and habitat suitability, including future predictions, and phylogenetic analysis. He was accompanied by Prof Franz Bairlein from the Institute of Avian Research, Wilhelmshaven, Lower Saxony, Germany.
In the past week, more than 100 individuals belonging to nine species were observed roosting at Siikhe Lake. The recorded species include the mallard duck, northern shoveler, ferruginous duck, Eurasian wigeon, tufted duck, gadwall, northern pintail, garganey, and great crested grebe. More species are expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
This observation was witnessed by Divisional Forest Officer Tilling Taker, Range Forest Officer Kago Oniya, and birder and wildlife filmmaker Millo Tako. (The contributor is Wildlife Warden, Lower Subansiri district)
