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Rare Smew Duck Debuts in Kaziranga!
26 Feb
Summary
- A rare Smew duck, a white diving duck, was sighted.
- The sighting occurred during the 7th Waterbird Count in Kaziranga.
- Over 1.05 lakh waterbirds were recorded in Kaziranga this year.
The smew, a rare winter migrant, has been sighted for the first time in Assam's Kaziranga Tiger Reserve. This distinctive diving duck, characterized by its black-masked white body in males and mottled brown in females, was observed during the 7th Waterbird Count at Rowmari-Donduwa beels.
This remarkable sighting became the highlight of the survey, which documented an impressive total of over 1.05 lakh waterbirds within the Kaziranga area. Such sporadic sightings of smew are typically limited to northern and central wetlands in India.
Ornithologists note that the smew prefers sheltered, fish-rich waters during winter and globally has a large but declining population due to habitat loss. The Kaziranga National Park Authority and the Assam Bird Monitoring Network collaborated on the report, emphasizing its value for assessing wetland health.
The successful count reaffirmed Kaziranga's vital role on the Central Asian Flyway, serving as a critical stopover for migratory birds from Siberia and Central Asia. The survey, conducted from January 4 to 11, involved over 120 enumerators and 50 volunteers.
