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Research Article Insight into Wetland Winter Migratory Avian Biodiversity in Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana State in India
Rohtash Chand Gupta1 and Tirshem Kumar Kaushik 1,* 1 Department of Zoology, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Haryana, India-136118.
Corresponding author ABSTRACT
Email: Hathnikund is a place in Yamunanagar District in Haryana where Yamuna Rivers forms a tarshemkaushik@rediff sort of Lake over raised plinth after descending into plains from Himalayas nearby Ponta Sahib mail.com town near Haryana-Himachal Border. At the same time, Tajewala Barrage is one more pool like scenic place where waters of Western Yamuna Canal are collected by Govt. of Haryana for subsequent multipurpose. In the present studies, wetland bird’s diversity of Hathnikund has been Phone No: recorded, analyzed and interpreted. The studies were conducted for a period of three years +91-9896051979 (September 2005-March 2008) during winter season only. The present studies revealed that in all 47 species of wetland birds belonging to 9 orders Fax No: and 13 families were observed during September 2005-March 2011. Out of these 47 species of -- wetland birds, 26 species were Winter Migratory, 13 Resident and 9 species were Local Migratory. In so far as Abundance Status is concerned, 26 species of birds were Common, Nine species were Editor UnCommon, Seven Species of birds were Very Common and five species were Rare. G. K. Agrawal Truely winter migratory birds observed belong to Orders, Ciconiiformes, Anseriformes and Chardriiformes. Prominent migratory birds include, amongst others, Bar-headed Goose Anser
indicus, Brahminy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea, Gadwall Anas strepera, Eurasian Wigeon Anas DOI penelope, Mallard Anas platyrhynchos, Northern Pintail Anas acuta, Northern Shoveller Anas 10.3126/ijls.v5i1.5953 clypeata, Red-crested Pochard Rhodonessa rufina, Common Pochard Aythya ferina, Tufted Pochard Aythya fuligula which come to Hathini Kund during winter from far off places like Russia, Siberia, South and East Asia, China and Caspian region. It is recommended that Hathnikund be further promoted as Winter Halting Place for migratory birds by adding islands within the Water Sheet, the construction of wide margins on the peripheral zones and a rich canopy of endemic trees by implanted in plenty. It is further recommended that Eco-tourism facilities be generated at Hathnikund, linking biodiversity with society’s economic upliftment, employment and awareness. It is also recommended that Fish angling sport can be an added attraction to Bird Watching. In correlation with mystery-wrapped natural ambiences of Hathnikund, it can be sold to tourists of foreign origin thus generating exchange earning facility. As of today, no body known about Hathnikund except amateur bird watchers who turn out to be tourists too, if appropriate lodging boarding facilities are available.
Key words: Winter Migratory Birds; Avian Biodiversity
INTRODUCTION collecting waters of Yamuna River for agriculture irrigation. The overall area of water sheet of Barrage The present investigations in respect of is approximately 1Km2. Hathini Kund can be easily winter migratory birds have been carried out at approached by road from Delhi by Highway No.1 via Hathnikund- A Wetland formed by Yamuna River’s Karnal-Yamunanagar-Hathinikund. Moreover, it is confluence with the plains after traversing through located at the very periphery of Kalesar National Park the high Himalayas beginning from Jamnotri Dham in of natural Sal-forests. Uttrakhand state. Its geographical position is 30019.290’N and 77002.579’E. Kalsi (1998) reported 161 species of birds from Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary in the vicinity of Hathnikund is actually located in Haryana in Hathinikund Barrage. Only few workers (Kalsi, 1998, Yamunanagar District. It is actually a barrage used for Bahuguna et al. 2008 and Tak et al. 2010) have Research Article Gupta & Kaushik (2011) provide information on the avian biodiversity of local migratory. In so far as Abundance Status is Hathinikund Barrage in Yamananagar district in concerned, 26 species of birds were Common, Nine Haryana and hence the present studies. Relevant species were UnCommon, Seven Species of birds Very work on winter migratory wetland birds have been Common and five species were Rare. Further, Order done by Zoology Department of Kurukshetra Charadriiformes contains four families and birds University (Gupta and Bajaj, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, represented are River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii, Gupta et al, 2010, Gupta et al, 2009, 2010 a-c, Gupta Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus, Common and Kaushik, 2010a-e and Gupta and Kaushik, 2011a- Redshank Tringa totanus, Green Sandpiper Tringa b). ochropus, Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos, Ruff Philomachus pugnax, Common Greenshank Tringa MATERIALS AND METHODS stagnatilis, Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus, Pied Avocet Recurivirostra avosetta, The present studies have been carried out for River Tern Sterna aurantia, and Pallas Gull Larus a period of three years (September 2005-March ichthyaetus. Similarly Order Anseriformes contain one 2008).In order to compute the spectrum of migratory family and birds represented are Bar-headed Goose, winter visitor birds of Hathnikund, a total of ten visits Brahminy Shelduck, Gadwall, Eurasian Wigeon, were made in winter season only. Mallard, Spot billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha, Northern Shoveller, Northern Pintail, Common Teal, The camera used was zenith 1986 model with Red-crested Pochard, Common Pochard and Tufted 200M tele lens. The various wetland birds Pochard. encountered during the study period were further segregated according to their residential status Further analysis of Table-1 revealed that birds categories like: “Resident”; “Winter Migratory”; “Local like Northern Shoveller, Northern Pintail, Common Migratory” by following the technique developed by Teal, Brahminy Shelduck are common between all the Kumar et al, 2005. visits and hence these migratory birds stay for longer period of winter at Hathnikund Barrage. However, On the basis of frequency of sighting in the Birds like Mallard and Eurasian Wigeon are found field visits, the bird’s species were categorized as Very only in December and January only. Common (V Com); birds sighted in the barrage during every visit (90%-100% encounter); Common (Com): According to (Ali and ripley, 1987) birds like Birds observed in the study area during most of the Northern Shoveller, Northern Pintail, Common Teal, visits (60%-90% encounter); Un Common (Un Com) Bar-headed Goose, Common Pochard, Red-crested Birds observed in small number and frequency of Pochard, Tufted Pochard, Pallas Gull and Great sighting is less (20%-60%); Rare (R): frequency of Crested Grebe purportedly came to Hathini Kund in sighting of birds are very less( Less than 2% Haryana, India from far off destinations like Russia, encounters).Identification of birds was done with the Siberia, China, and Caspian region. It is pertinent to help of reference books (Ali and Ripley, 1987, mention that, birds like Northern Shoveller, Northern Grimmet et al., 1998 and Kumar et al., 2005) Pintail, Brahminy shelduck were seen in exceptionally Nomenclature follows Manakadan and Pittie (2001). large number Contrary to this, bird’s like Mallard, Tufted Pochard, Great-crested Grebe were seen in RESULTS AND DISCUSSION smaller groups. However, birds like mallard were The annotated checklist of Wetland birds of seen in very less number and always seen in pairs. Hathnikund wetland is available in Table-1. As per the Tak et al. (2010) reported 31 species corroborative evidence data mentioned above, a total belonging to 22 genera and 10 families from of 47 species of wetland birds were seen at Hathnikund Barrage in Yamunanagar district. It is Hathnikund Barrage during 2005-08. After pertinent to mention that Black Stork Ciconia nigra assortment, it is found that in all 9 orders was not observed in the present study (Podicipediformes, Pelecaniformes, Ciconiiformes, Anseriformes, Gruiformes, Charadriiformes, Author’s like Tak et al. (2010) have reported Falconiformes, Coraciiformes and Passeriformes) and birds like Black Stork, Brown-headed Gull Larus a total of 13 families are represented in context of brunnicephalusfrom Hathnikund but not observed in avian diversity of Hathnikund Barrage in present studies. Conversely, birds like White-tailed Yamunanagar district of Haryana state in India. Out of Lapwing Vanellus leucurus, Great-crested Grebe these 47 species of wetland birds 25 species were Podiceps cristatus, Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea winter Migratory, 13 resident and 9 species were leucorodia and Black crowned Night Heron Nycticorax 40 | International Journal of Life Sciences • ISSN 2091–0525 • Year 2011 • Volume 5 • Issue 1
Research Article Gupta & Kaushik (2011)
14 12 12 Fig.1. Depiction of incidence of 12 avian diversity of Hathini Kund 10 9 Barrage in Yamunanagar district
8 in order-wise manner during 2005-08. 6 4 4 3 2 2 2 2 1 No of bird species bird of No
0
Gruiformes Ciconiifrmes Anseriformes FalconiformesCoraciiformes Pelecaniformes Passeriformes Podicipediformes Charadriiformes Orders
Podicipedidae, 2 Motacillidae, 4 Fig.2. Depiction of Phalacrocoracidae, 2 incidence of avian Alcedinidae, 2 Accipitridae, 1 diversity of Podicipedidae Hathini Kund Laridae, 2 Ardeidae, 8 Phalacrocoracidae Barrage in Ardeidae Yamunanagar Threskiornithidae Recurvirostridae, 2 district in Family- Anatidae Rallidae wise manner Charadriidae during 2005-08. Threskiornithidae, 1 Scolopacidae Recurvirostridae Scolopacidae, 5 Laridae Accipitridae Alcedinidae Motacillidae
Charadriidae, 3 Anatidae, 12 Rallidae, 3
Fig.3. Depiction of Local Migratory, 9, Residential Status of 19% wetland birds observed Resident, 13, 28% during study period at Resident Hathini Kund Barrage in Yamunanagar Winter Migratory district in Haryana. Local Migratory
Winter Migratory, 25, 53%
Fig.4.Depiction of Very Common, 7, Abundance Status of Rare, 5, 11% 15% wetland birds observed during study Very Common period at Hathini Un Common, 9, Common Kund Barrage in 19% Yamunanagar district Un Common in Haryana Common, 26, 55% Rare
41 | International Journal of Life Sciences • ISSN 2091–0525 • Year 2011 • Volume 5 • Issue 1 Research Article Gupta & Kaushik (2011)
Sr. Common Name Scientific Name Residential Status Abundan TABLE 1. No. ce Status ORDER- PODICIPEDIFORMES PODICIPEDIDAE CHECKLIST OF 1 Little Grebe Tachybaptus rufficollis (Pallas, 1764) R Com WETLAND BIRDS 2 Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus (Linnaeus, 1758) WM Ra DIVERSITY IN PELECANIFORMES PHALACROCORACIDAE 3 Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger (Vieillot, 1817) R V Com HATHINI KUND 4 Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo (Linnaeus, 1758) LM Com BARRAGE IN CICONIIFORMES ARDEIDAE YAMUNANAGAR IN 5 Little Egret Egretta garzetta (Linnaeus, 1766) LM V Com HARYANA DURING 6 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea (Linnaeus, 1758) WM Com 7 Purple Heron Ardea purpurea Linnaeus, 1766 LM Com 2005-08 8 Large Egret Casmerodius albus (Linnaeus 1758) LM Com 9 Median Egret Mesophoyx intermedia (Wagler 1829) LM Com 10 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis (Linnaeus, 1758) R V Com 11 Indian Pond-Heron Ardeola grayii (Sykes, 1832) R Com Black-crowned Night Nycticorax nycticorax (Linnaeus,1758) 12 R Un Com Heron CICONIIFORMES THRESKIORNITHIDAE 13 Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia Linnaeus,1758 LM Ra ANSERIFORMES ANATIDAE 14 Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus (Latham,1790) WM Com 15 Brahminy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea (Pallas 1764) WM V Com 16 Gadwall Anas strepera (Linnaeus, 1758) WM Com 17 Eurasian Wigeon Anas Penelope (Linnaeus, 1758) WM Com 18 Mallard Anas platyrhynchos (Linnaeus, 1758) WM Com 19 Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha (J.R. Forester, 1781) R Com 20 Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata (Linnaeus, 1758) WM V Com 21 Northern Pintail Anas acuta (Linnaeus, 1758) WM V Com 22 Common Teal Anas crecca (Linnaeus, 1758) WM V Com 23 Red-crested Pochard Rhodonessa rufina (Pallas, 1773) WM Com 24 Common Pochard Aythya ferina (Linnaeus, 1758) WM Com 25 Tufted Pochard Aythya fuligula (Linnaeus, 1758) WM Un Com GRUIFORMES, RALLIDAE 26 White-breasted Waterhen Amaurornis phoenicurus (Pennant, 1769) R Com 27 Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus (Linnaeus, 1758) LM Com 28 Common Coot Fulica atra (Linnaeus, 1758) WM Com CHARADRIIFORMES CHARADRIDAE 29 River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii (Lesson-1826) R Un Com 30 Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus (Boddaert, 1783) R Com 31 White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus (Lichtenstein, 1823) WM Ra CHARADRIIFORMES SCOLOPACIDAE 32 Common Redshank Tringa tetanus (Linnaeus, 1758) WM Un Com 33 Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus Linnaeus,1758 WM Un Com 34 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos (Linnaeus, 1758) WM Com 35 Ruff Philomachus pugnax (Linnaeus, 1758) WM Un Com 36 Common Greenshank Tringa stagnatilis (Bechstein,1803) WM Ra CHARADRIIFORMES RECURVIROSTRIDAE 37 Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus (Linnaeus, 1758) R Com 38 Pied Avocet Recurivirostra avosetta (Linnaeus, 1758) WM Com CHARADRIIFORMES LARIDAE 39 River Tern Sterna aurantia (J.E. Gray, 1831) LM Un Com 40 Pallas’s Gull Larus ichthyaetus (J.E. Gray, 1831) WM Ra FALCONIFORMES ACCIPITRIDAE 41 Brahminy Kite Haliastur Indus (Boddaert,1783) R Com CORACIIFORMES ALCEDINIDAE 42 Lesser Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis (Linnaeus, 1758) R Un Com 43 White-breasted Kingfisher Halcyon smyrnensis (Linnaeus, 1758) R Un Com PASSERIFORMES MOTACILLIDAE 44 White Wagtail Motacilla alba (Linnaeus, 1758) WM Com 45 Large Pied Wagtail Motacilla maderaspatensis (Gmelin, 1789) LM Com 46 Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola (Pallas, 1776) WM Com 47 Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flave (Linnaeus, 1758) WM Com
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Research Article Gupta & Kaushik (2011) nycticorax have been seen in the present studies at Gupta, R.C. & Bajaj, M. 1998. Preliminary observations on winter Hathnikund barrage in Haryana in India but were not avifauna of a perennial sewer wetland body of Kurukshetra. Jeevanti 16: 46-57. reported by workers like Tak et al. (2010). Gupta, R.C. & Bajaj, M. 1999. An analysis of Ecological and It is recommended that WWF (International) behavioral patterns of migratory Shoveller (Anas clypeata) and IUCN species survival commission conduct (Linnaeus) in certain wetlands of Haryana. Jeevanti 17: 27-35. studies at depth to comprehend the scenario of winter Gupta, R.C. & Bajaj, M. 2000. Preliminary observation on a rare migratory birds at Hathnikund Barrage in entirety so lapwing species, white-tailed, (Vanellus leucurus) (Lichtenstein). as to promote initiation of steps to provide a Journal of Nature Conservation 12(2): 197-203. congenial atmosphere in the Kund in daytime and at roosting places during the night time. It is suggested Gupta, R.C. & Kaushik, T.K. 2010a. Determination of the domain that an exhaustive list of winter visitor wetland birds of spectrum concerning diversity of endangered winter visitor wetland birds in Haryana. Journal of Experimental Zoology, be prepared by actually camping at Hathnikund India 13 (2):349-354. Barrage in Haryana(India) for one full winter season w.e.f. September to march. Considering each birds’ Gupta, R.C. & Kaushik, T.K. 2010b. Computation of wetland feeding requirements, adequate vegetation and fauna birds in rural areas of Kurukshetra, Haryana, India. Journal of Nature Conservation 22 (1):1-11. fish etc be maintained in the wetland. Also, emphasis be laid to decipher their roosting habits. In Gupta, R.C. & Kaushik, T.K. 2010c. On the causative factors conclusion, one may say that Hathnikund Barrage in responsible for the pathetic plight of Yellow wattled Lapwing in Yamunanagar, Haryana,I ndia is one undisturbed man Kurukshetra suburbs. Journal of Nature Conservation 22 (2):181-187. made wetland which receive around 47species of wetland birds belonging to 9 Orders and13families in Gupta, R.C. & Kaushik, T.K. 2010d. Determination of spectrum all. Maximum number of species belong to Orders of winter migratory birds in Yamunanagar district in Haryana Charadriiformes and Anserformes (12 species each) (India). Environment conservation Journa, 11(3):37-43. and minimum to Podicipediformes and Gruiformes (2 Gupta, R.C. & Kaushik, T.K. 2010e. Understanding Rural Ponds’ species each) and Falconiformes (Brahminy Kite). Migratory Avian Diversity in Panchkula District in Haryana, India. Journal of Advanced Zoology 31 (2):117-123. Acknowledgements Gupta, R.C. & Kaushik, T.K. 2011a. On the fast depleting trends Dr. Rohtash Chand Gupta is especially of Cormorants in Kurukshetra wetlands in the last twenty five thankful to Dr. J. S. Yadav, Ex. Chairman, Zoology years. Journal of Experimental Zoology, India 14 (1):81-85. department, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, Gupta, R.C. & Kaushik, T.K. 2011b. On the fundamentatals of India, for bringing the Camera and Lens from Russia natural history and present threats to Red-wattled Lapwing in used in the present studies. Both the authors wish to Kurukshetra environs. Journal of Applied & Natural Sciences express deep sense of gratitude to authorities of 3(1):62-67. Kurukshetra University for inspiring and extending Gupta, R.C.; Parasher, M. & Kaushik, T.K. 2010. Analysis of cooperation. Both the authors admire the beauty and Avifauna of Chilchilla Bird Sanctuary in Haryana, India. Journal of presence of birds in our lives. Advanced Zoology 31 (1):35-44. Gupta, R.; Kaushik, T.K. & Kumar, S. 2009. Analysis of winter REFERENCES migratory Wetland Birds in Karnal district in Haryana. Journal of Advanced Zoology 30 (2):104-117. Ali, S. & Ripley, S. D. 1987. Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan together with those of Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Manakadan, R. & Pittie, A. 2001. Standardized common and Lanka. Compact ed. Delhi: Oxford University Press. scientific Names of the birds of the Indian subcontinent. Buceros 6(1): i-ix, 1-37. Ali, S. 1996. The Book of Indian Birds. 12th Edition (Revised and enlarged): Oxford University Press, Mumbai. Kalsi, R. S. 1998. Birds of Kalesar Wildlife Sanctuary, Haryana, India. Forktail 13:29-32. Bahuguna, A.; Sati, J. P. & Tak, P.C. 2008. 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