Ahead of launching a comprehensive conservation programme for the protection of endangered species — black-necked Crane and Bar-headed Geese — the Department of Wildlife protection (J&K) in technical collaboration with Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun has embarked on a second phase of an ambitious research project in Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary to study the migration and habitat utilisation pattern of these species in J&K using satellite transmitters.
This is for the first time a Black-necked Crane, the State bird of J&K has been fitted with satellite transmitters in ladakh region. In India, eastern ladakh is the only known breeding ground for Black-necked Crane outside China.
The estimated population of Black-necked Crane in ladakh region is between 80-100 while the global population is estimated to be around 6,000.
In the first phase of the research project, the satellite transmitters were placed on two Bar-headed Geese in the Gharana Wetland Conservation Reserve in Jammu in March 2012. A detailed report on this study titled ‘Tracking Movement Pattern of Bar-headed Goose in J&K’ has been brought out by the WII, Dehradun in April 2013.
According to Tahir Shawl, a trained senior wildlife biologist who had actually conceived the project during his posting as Wildlife Warden in leh told The Pioneer, “The high altitude wetlands in trans-Himalayan region of India are breeding grounds of many species of migratory water fowl and play host to species like Black-necked Crane and Bar-headed Geese during summer.”
He said through this study the wildlife experts are looking forward to study the migration routes, habitat utilisation pattern and above all establishment of link, if any, between Jammu and ladakh population of Bar-headed Geese.
Shawl said the exercise to fit the satellite transmitters on two Black-necked Cranes was accomplished by the leh Wildlife Division of the department in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Mumbai between September 15-22.
Expert bird catcher, associated with Bombay Natural History Society, Ali Hussain, Dr Asad Rafi Rahmani, Director BNHS, Dr Bilal Habib, Scientist WII, were present in Changthang to carry out the elaborate procedure along with senior officials of the State Wildlife Department.
Shawl said the study would be carried out in the wetlands of Changthang area including Chushul, Hanle, Tsokar, loma, Saato and Ronga in collaboration with the WII, Dehradun.
Apart from this, he said, two more Bar-headed Geese were fitted with rings and neck bands to carry out further research work. Shawl said, “We have already started receiving the satellite data from the birds and closely tracking their movement to trace their migration route.”