Chanchal Gola/ Ramnagar
Corbett National Park is once again in the spotlight after an infrequently seen bird species was sighted. Park staff and tourists in the Dhela zone recently witnessed a rare bird in flight. The wildlife experts said that they are sure that it is Hawfinch, an extremely rare species, which has been sighted in the park. They are thrilled because it has been sighted in India for the first time.
CTR already records the presence of more than 600 bird species, but the arrival of the Hawfinch has added a remarkable new chapter to the park’s avian diversity. Until now, this bird had only been known to inhabit the mountainous regions of Europe and Western Asia.
The Hawfinch was last reported in 1908 in Muzaffarabad (now in Pakistan), and again in 2017 in the adjoining Aliabad region. Since then, there has been no documented sighting of the species. Its sudden appearance in Corbett is therefore being considered nothing short of extraordinary by the avian experts.
An ornithologist, Manoj Sharma explained that this species survives on small fruits and seeds. “I assume that the changing weather patterns and climatic conditions may have influenced its movement towards the Himalayan region,” he observed.
The Corbett Park director, Saket Badola has confirmed the first-ever sighting of this rare bird in the Dhela range. “A conservation and behavioural study plan for the Hawfinch is now being prepared,” he noted.
