Kasambe & Singh: Mandarin 101

Mandarin Duck galericulata at Loktak Lake, Manipur

Raju Kasambe & R. K. Birjit Singh

Kasambe, R., Singh, R. K. B., 2014. Mandarin Duck Aix galericulata at Loktak Lake, Manipur. Indian 9 (4): 101. Raju Kasambe, B-205, Trimurti Aprtment, Borkar Galli, Tilak Nagar, Dombivli (East), District Thane 421201, Maharashtra, India. E-mail: [email protected] [RK] R. K. Birjit Singh, Ningthoukhong-8, Near Radha Madhav Leikai, Bishenpur 795126, Manipur, India. E-mail: [email protected] [RKBS] Manuscript received on 04 February 2014.

ombay Natural History Society (henceforth, BNHS), in Manipur record is treated as “requiring verification”. Choudhury association with the State Forest Department of Manipur (2006) includes it in the birds of Dibru-Saikhowa National Park BState, conducted surveys in three Important Bird Areas and Biosphere Reserve, Assam, possibly based on the records (henceforth, IBAs) of Manipur State in north-eastern India during mentioned in Baker (1902). A more recent record of the December 2013. The first leg of the bird survey was carried out in Manipur is of one caught at Sugnu, Chandel District, towards in the Loktak Lake (24°35’ N, 93°50’E, 765 m above MSL)) in the south-eastern corner of Loktak Lake, sometime in 1997, and Keibul Lamjao National Park during 9–11 December 2013. the bird was kept in captivity at the Imphal Zoological Gardens During the survey, the authors visited the lake in twin dugout (Rahmani & Islam 2004; Choudhury 2009). Apart from these canoes with the help of local guides. The lake is the last remaining records from north-eastern India, three individuals, including habitat of the Endangered Manipur brow-antlered deer Rucervus one male in breeding , were recorded at Sat Tal Lake, eldii eldii locally known as ‘sangai’. Apart from being an IBA, it Uttarakhand on 13 February 1999 (Vrezec et al. 2006). qualifies as a Ramsar site under A1(iv) criteria. Manipur Valley is hardly visited by birdwatchers and hence it At 1000 hrs, on 11 December 2013, while surveying the is likely that the duck is more frequent than it has been reported Jawa Lamjao area of Loktak Lake near Toubul village, RK till now (thrice in Manipur, five times in north-eastern India). spotted a brightly coloured duck among the duck flocks. Further However, we feel the need to document this straggler record of observations and photography revealed it to be a male Mandarin the species as reports are still scarce. Duck Aix galericulata [132]. Identification was straightforward as such a well-marked duck is also difficult to miss. Acknowledgements There are a handful of records, mostly historical, of this species from north-eastern India. C. Gimson and Capt. W. L. Thanks to the Forest Department, Manipur, especially Th. Ibobi Singh (now retired) Addl., C. C. F., for the logistical support during the entire survey in Manipur. The Neal had shot two males and two females of Mandarin authors thank the survey team members Khoyumthem Brajesh, Dizen Laishram, R. K. in a stream in the Mayangkhang Valley, Manipur at an altitude Jyotin Singh, L. Gopen, Sobhapati Samon, and Elangbam Premjit Singh. Thanks to the of about 3500 feet (=1050 m) on 03 March 1934 (Gimson bibliography maintained by Aasheesh Pittie (http://www.southasiaornith.in). 1934). Two specimens (a male and a female) out of these are present in the BNHS collection (Abdulali 1968). References Stevens had obtained a specimen near Dibrugarh, Assam from a flock of six ducks (Baker 1902). Later on, Baker saw a flock Abdulali, H., 1968. A catalogue of the birds in the collection of the Bombay Natural of six ducks in July 1901 flying across the Subansiri River close to History Society-2. . Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 65 (2): 418–430. its junction with the Ranganadi River (Baker 1902). Rasmussen & Baker, E. C. S., 1902. Occurrence of the “Mandarin Duck” in India. Journal of the Anderton (2012) mention about a specimen from Assam Valley, Bombay Natural History Society 14 (3): 626–627. which probably refers to the one procured by Stevens, while the Choudhury, A., 2006. Birds of Dibru-Saikhowa National Park and Biosphere Reserve, Assam, India. Indian Birds 2 (4): 95–105. Choudhury, A., 2009. Significant recent ornithological records from Manipur, north-east India, with an annotated checklist. Forktail 25: 71–89. Gimson, C., 1934. Occurrence of the Mandarin Duck [Aix galericulata] (Linn.)] in the Manipur State. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 37 (2): 490–491. Rahmani, A. R., & Islam, M. Z.-u., 2008. Ducks, geese and swans of India: their status and distribution. 1st ed. Bombay: Indian Bird Conservation Network; Bombay Natural History Society; Royal Society for the Protection of Birds; BirdLife International; Oxford University Press. Pp. i–x, 1–364. Rasmussen, P. C., & Anderton, J. C., 2012. Birds of South Asia: the Ripley guide. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C. and Barcelona: Smithsonian Institution and Lynx Edicions. 2 vols. Pp. 1–378; 1–683. Vrezec, A., Jancar, T., & Bozic, L., 2006. Mandarin Ducks Aix gallericulata (Linnaeus) on the Sat Tal lakes near Nainital, Uttaranchal. Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society 102 (3): 338–339 (2005).

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