A bar-headed goose, which was tagged in Mongolia in July 2014 has been spotted in Koonthankulam - Kadankulam Bird Sanctuary in Tirunelveli district.
It is one of the winter migratory bird species regularly coming to this sanctuary. It can be identified by its signature white and grey plumage with distinct black bars on the head and orange-yellow beak and legs. During flight, these birds appear to have all-grey plumage with black wing tips. The Bar-headed Goose can cover distances of more than 1,600 km in one day and is known for reaching extreme altitudes of 29,500 feet during its twice-yearly migrations across the Himalayas.
On the evening of January 28, M. Mathivanan, Senior Research Associate, ATREE’s Agasthyamalai Community Conservation Centre, Manimutharu, and Balachandar, a videographer from Chennai, sighted a green colour-banded Bar-headed Geese at Kadankulam tank which forms part of the sanctuary. The band was marked ‘F60.’ As Mr. Balachandar had clicked a photo of the bird with the tag, he could confirm that the bird was tagged in Mongolia, a central Asian republic.
“We know that the green colour band is used by Mongolian ornithologists, so we sent a mail to N. Tseveenmyadag, Senior Ornithologist, Wildlife Science and Conservation Centre of Mongolia. He replied that this bird was captured and marked Nyambayar B. (WSCC of Mongolia) on July 7, 2014 at the Northwest Bay of the Terkhiin Tsagaan Lake in Arkhangai province of Central Mongolia,” says Mr. Mathivanan.
The capture location is N48.151395, E99.584116 and the bird, an adult male, weighed 2,340 gm. Mr. Tseveenmyadag added: “I have received information that this bird has been registered twice in India - on December 28, 2017, T. Ganesh, Prashanth M.B, Saravana A. and Chiyan reported sightings near Moolaikaraipatti in Tirunelveli district. And on April 3, 2018, Chandra S. clicked its photo at Hadinari lake, Mysuru district in Karnataka.”
“As Tirunelveli district received below-average rainfall during last Northeast monsoon, there is not enough water in Koonthankulam - Kadankulam Birds Sanctuary but still, these tanks support good avian fauna. The Koonthankulam villagers support bird conservation efforts made by the Forest Department. The Public Works Department and District Administration need to consider giving preference of supplying water in time to the sanctuary from Manimutharu dam to bolster the local community’s support,” Mr. Mathivanan said.
