PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Ramnagar
In a first for the Corbett landscape, a rare Greater Painted-Snipe has been photographed with its two chicks in the wetland area along Kosi river adjoining Corbett Tiger Reserve. The remarkable sighting has excited ornithologists and wildlife enthusiasts, and it is being considered as the first photographic documentation of the species’ breeding behaviour in the Kosi wetlands. Notably, a wildlife photographer, Deep Rajwar captured the rare bird with its two chicks in open water on Thursday evening.
According to the wildlife experts, no publicly available photographic record has so far documented the breeding behaviour of the Greater Painted- Snipe in the Kosi wetlands. “The sighting is considered an important indicator of the ecological richness of the region’s wetlands and the suitability of the habitat for wetland birds,” enthused an expert, adding that it is found in a variety of wetland habitats, including swamps and larger water bodies like lakes and rivers across Africa and southern Asia.
The experts further say that the Greater Painted -Snipe is an extremely shy wetland bird that prefers to remain hidden in dense grassy marshes, making sightings uncommon. “Although we would assume its presence in and around Corbett, there had been no photographic evidence to confirm it. It is the first time that the species has been photographed in the open with its young in the Corbett landscape,” stated an expert.
The Greater Painted-Snipe is known for its unusual breeding behaviour. Unlike most bird species, the male incubates the eggs and takes primary responsibility for raising the chicks, while the female usually remains nearby, watching. The male teaches the young how to forage, avoid predators and survive in the wild. Ornithologists consider this role reversal to be one of the species’ most fascinating characteristics, making the documentation of a male with chicks especially significant from a conservation perspective.
The bird experts believe that the sighting highlights the rich biodiversity of the Kosi wetlands. They stress on protecting these natural wetland habitats to help conserve several rare bird species and other wildlife in the future.
Corbett Tiger Reserve is internationally known for its astounding avian diversity. Annual bird censuses are conducted in the reserve, where more than 500 bird species are supposed to have been spotted so far.
Speaking of the matter, the warden of the park, Binder Pal said, “Bird monitoring is carried out in Corbett every year and over 500 bird species have been recorded so far. We are verifying this record, and appropriate conservation measures will be planned to ensure protection of this rare species. The bird has never been documented so clearly in the open before.”
