CONSERVATION OF GLOBALLY THREATENED MIGRATORY BIRD SPECIES OF LOKTAK LAKE, A RAMSAR SITE IN MANIPUR, INDIA A FINAL PROJECT REPORT Conservation Grant No. P916 Dated: 14.07.2011 SUBMITTED TO ORIENTAL BIRD CLUB, UK 2012 OINAM SUNANDA DEVI PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR, RESEARCH SCHOLAR, DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY GAUHATI UNIVERSITY Email: [email protected] SUPPORTED BY 1 FINAL REPORT CONSERVATION OF GLOBALLY THREATENED MIGRATORY BIRD SPECIES OF LOKTAK LAKE, A RAMSAR SITE IN MANIPUR, INDIA Conservation Grant No. P916 Dated: 14.07.2011 SUBMITTED TO ORIENTAL BIRD CLUB, UK SUBMITTED BY OINAM SUNANDA DEVI PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR RESEARCH SCHOLAR, DEPARTMENT OF ZOOLOGY GAUHATI UNIVERSITY Acknowledgements I owe to the great number of people who have helped me on the work which forms this report. At the onset, I would like to thank my sponsors Mr. James Goodhart, Oriental Bird Club (OBC), UK and Asoka Trust for Research in Ecology & Environment (ATREE) for their financial assistance for undertaking the research work. I would also like to thank the Forest Department of Manipur for providing me the necessary permission to conduct the research work and field assistance whenever required. A special thanks goes to Shri K. Joykumar Singh, DFO, Park & Sanctuaries for his constant help and advice during the study period. I also would like to thank the Principals and all the teachers of Loyola English School & Bishnupur Public School for their cooperation during holding of the essay & painting competitions. I also extend my gratitude to Shri Y. Madhumangal Singh, Local Headman of Kumbi Mayai Leikai and the two Experts Shri O. Debendra Singh and L. Maipak Singh for their help in arranging the awareness programme. Finally but not the least, I am indebted to my Brother Mr. Oinam Jitendra Singh and my Sister-in-laws Smt. Oinam Sangeeta Devi and Smt. Oinam Nalini Devi for accompanying me during most of my field visits and awareness campaigns. I would also like to thank my Sister Oinam Anandi Devi, my aunty Sapam Hemabati Devi and my brother-in law Mr. Okram Lokendro Singh for helping with the logistics. Lastly, I will always remain thankful to my parents Oinam Jnanendra Singh and Oinam Sangbanabi Devi for their constant support and blessings which gave me the courage to conduct the conservation research works in this highly disturbed area. (Oinam Sunanda Devi) Date: 12_09_2015 CONSERVATION OF GLOBALLY THREATENED MIGRATORY BIRD SPECIES OF LOKTAK LAKE, A RAMSAR SITE IN MANIPUR, INDIA Executive Summary: The avifaunal diversity of Loktak Lake, a Ramsar site and an Important Bird Area of Manipur has been declining from the past two decades due to massive killings of birds including globally threatened migratory species by local people as a means of their livelihood. Also, rapid degradation of wetland habitat has led to extirpitation of many resident and globally threatened bird species. There is immediate need for conservation awareness programs of Threatened Avian Fauna and the importance of the lake itself on the local communities for their own livelihood and survival. The present proposal aimed to assess the current status of threatened avian fauna of the Lake and to identify the major threats leading to their declining population and also to take up conservation awareness programs. Introduction: Manipur falls under the Endemic bird area of Eastern Himalayas which is considered one of the most important biodiversity hotspot harboring, wide varieties of animals inhabiting in diversified habitat mosaic (Stattersfield et al., 1998). Situated on the far eastern corner of India bordering Myanmar, Manipur has 9 Important Bird Areas (Islam & Rahmani, 2004). The Loktak Lake is the first Ramsar Site of North east India and an important IBA which provides refuge to thousands of birds but due to intense hunting pressure and general disturbances, the waterfowl number has declined in recent years (Singh & Singh, 1994). Birds such as the White Stork- Ciconia ciconia, Greater Adjutant Stork- Leptoptilos dubius, Hooded Crane - Grus monachus, Spot- Billed Pelican- Pelecanus phillipiensis and Greater Spotted Eagle- Aquila clanga were reported to found abundantly in the Lake during 1980s (Sanjit et al., 2005). There are also old reports of occurrence of Eastern Sarus Crane, Grus antigone on the Lake (Higgins, 1934). Hunting and poaching of water birds for consumption and also construction of Ithai barrage are the major reasons for rapid decline of waterfowl number in the Lake. Besides these, loss of vegetal cover in the catchment area and the construction of Ithai barrage on the Lake also account for rapid decline of waterfowl number (LDA, 1999). Considering the above facts, the present research work was conducted to provide information on the current status of threatened avifauna of Loktak Lake and to identify the main threats to their rapidly declining population and also to take up conservation awareness and education programmes to save the resident and globally threatened birds of this largest Ramsar site of North East India. Study area: The Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake of north-eastern India situated at the state of Manipur; the lake is also the first Ramsar site of the region. The lake forms an important bird area of Manipur, IBA Site No. IN-MN- 06. It lies in the geographical area of 240 34'60'' N latitudes and 930 49' 60'' E longitudes and its altitude between 767- 813 msl. The Lake has a maximum length of 26 km and width of 13 km and is about 2.7 m deep (Islam & Rahmani, 2004). There are 14 hills on the southern part of the Lake, varying in size and elevation, appearing as islands. Prominent among them is Sendra, Ihing and Thanga islands (Islam & Rahmani, 2004). The whole Loktak wetland system also comprises small wetlands such as Phumlen (3,500 ha), Ikop (2,600 ha), Waithou (257 ha) and Lousi (450 ha) pats. The Keibul –Lamjao National Park which is home to the highly endangered Manipur Brow- antlered Deer Cervus eldi eldi forms the southern portion of the lake. It is the only floating National park formed by large continuous mass of swamp with floating mats of vegetation, locally known as phumdis, covering much of its surface. The vegetation comprises of Zizania latifolia, Leersia hexandra, Phragmites karka, Cepithipedium spp., Carex spp., Saccharum munja, Narenga porphyrochroma and Polygonum perfoliatum (Islam & Rahmani, 2004). In respect to the degree of disturbance, the wetland habitat was categorized into three habitat types: disturbed (D) habitat comprising the Lake periphery areas where there is maximum human activity, moderately disturbed (MD) habitat which consists of open waters and floating mats vegetation where fishing activities occurs and undisturbed (UD) habitat which consists of undisturbed open waters in the middle of the Lake with few floating vegetation mats where no or minimum fishing activities occurs. Fig 1. Locational map of Loktak Lake, Manipur, India. Map Source: ISRO, SAC, 2009 Literature review: The major contributions to the avifaunal assemblages of Manipur were made by several British Ornithologists (Hume,1888; Inglis, 1896-1901; Baker, 1894-1901, 1913; Higgins, 1913, 1934) in long past. Very little informations are available about the overall bird status, distribution and habitat of candidate threatened bird species in various ecological pockets of the state. Detailed studies and reviews of present status on the avifaunal assemblage throughout Manipur state are far from satisfactory. During the recent years, few regional studies (Yadava & Varshney, 1981; Scott, 1989; Roy, 1992; Singh & Singh, 1994; Singh, 1995; Choudhury, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2002; Manihar, 1999, 2003; Ahmed et al., 2003) although have been made, it could not cover all the habitat and species of this region. Therefore, immediate steps are required to investigate and critically analyzed species distribution and effects of habitat disturbance on various phylogeny groups of bird species in Manipur. Since Loktak Lake is the largest Ramsar site of North-East India, conservation awareness programmes of threatened water birds must be conducted immediately and continuously for long term conservation of water birds and the Lake itself which is the lifeline of Manipur. Objectives- 2-3 concise points 1. To evaluate the current status of globally threatened migratory bird species of the lake. 2. To evaluate the impact of Loktak Hydro Electric project on the habitat of Resident and Globally Threatened Migratory water birds of the Lake. 3 To initiate conservation awareness programmes of globally threatened Water birds on the local communities specially the womenfolk. Expected Outputs 2-3 concise points 1. Database on the Current status of globally threatened migratory bird species of the lake can be established. 2. Impact of Loktak Hydro Electric project on the habitat of Resident and Globally Threatened Migratory water birds of the Lake can be assessed. 3. Conservation awareness programmes of globally threatened Water birds on the local communities will be initiated for their Knowledge and participation in future conservation works in the area. 4. As when necessary, the research findings will be presented in national and international seminars. Methodology a) Research design: 1. Establishment of Field Station: First of all, I will interact with the State Forest Department in order to establish a field station in a proper place near the Lake for convenience in early morning field surveys and regular monitoring of avifauna throughout the year. 2. Appointment of one Local Guide: One Local youth will be appointed, who will guide us during field surveys and data collection. Local guide is necessary as we don’t know the tracks and routes of the Lake for initial field surveys. Also he will help me during the conservation awareness programs. 3. Field surveys and Monitoring: Data will be collected using: 1. Line Transect Method (Bibby et al., 1992). 2. Point Count Method (Buckland et al., 1993). 3. Opportunistic observation will also be added to the list.