From the lands of the lamas

Bird Watching From the lands of the lamas From the lands of the lamas One of the world's highest-flying avian wintering in the backyards of three Indian nuclear power plant sites -J. Devaprakash Birds are meant for flying. But do all the birds have the same prowess? While most birds fly within 2000 m elevation, there are some high-altitude fliers that soar even up to great heights of around 5000 m. But the Bar-headed Goose – just a foot-long duck that weighs only 3 kg – owns an incredible flying ability to fly above the Himalayas at prodigious elevations of nearly 9000 m. And for this extraordinary feat, the bird is feted as world’s highest-flying bird. At this altitude, where the oxygen content in the air is only half, where temperature is anything below zero degree Celsius, and where the wind blows much like a hurricane with a speed of more than 110 miles per hour, human survival is a real struggle. For a human, it takes several days to climb to an altitude of 21,000 feet, that too after undergoing an acclimatisation programme in which he has to train his body to adapt to the low oxygen levels. This requires at least a month or till he adapts to the local climatic conditions. But the Bar-headed Goose doesn’t need any of these, thanks to its physiological strengths. It not only flies over the Himalayas which also has the planet’s tallest mountain the Mount Everest, but also manages to cross the mountain range in one single stretch of about 8 hours non-stop flight, according to several scientific reports. Amazed by this extraordinary flying ability, many scientists studied its physiological aspects to know the basis of this high-altitude flight, which unravelled several interesting facts among which two are intriguing. First, the greatest density of capillaries (the tiny blood vessels) and red blood cells found in their body supplies adequate level of oxygen to the muscles. Second, they also have a capability to breathe rapidly sans dizziness, an action called hyperventilation, which helps the bird to get required amount of oxygen into their blood. The Migration But why does this goose fly to such a high altitude – where atmosphere is not conducive – -risking its life? The plain and obvious answer to this puzzling question is migration. Like many other birds, the Bar-headed Goose, too, migrates mainly for two reasons: one, to escape harsh weather and two, to take advantage of abundant food available in its wintering places. While most migrants fly at moderate heights, this goose has to soar high to cross the Himalayas, as this mountain range lies between its migration route. The migration of the Bar-headed Goose takes place twice a year. It first flies from its breeding areas in China, Mongolia and Tibet – commonly called as the land of the lamas, as these countries are known for their Buddhist priests and monasteries – to south Asia, including India, over the Himalayas at the onset of winter. After having spent the winter in a relatively moderate climate, eventually, they fly back to their breeding locations, just before summer, crossing the Himalayas once again. In the Indian Territory, Ladakh is the only breeding place for the Bar-headed Goose, while its wintering grounds range from the northern plains to the northeast region to the southernmost tip of the country. Among its far-flung distribution range in India, the Goose is seen around three Indian nuclear power plant sites, namely, Narora Atomic Power Station (NAPS) in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS) in Rajasthan and Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) in Tamilnadu. Observing the Bar-headed Goose and other migratory birds is part of the Environment Stewardship Programme (ESP) a voluntary initiative being pursued with an aim to monitor and conserve the biodiversity around the Indian nuclear power plant sites of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). The NAPS site, in Narora in the western part of Uttar Pradesh, has a freshwater lake called Hakkimpur wetland that attracts a great deal of migratory birds in winter besides being an abode to several resident birds all year round. “There were at least 500 individuals of the Bar-headed Goose found roosting in the Hakkimpur wetland this year,” says Raja Mandal, the secretary of NAPS nature club. The Rawatbhata region in Rajasthan, where RAPS is located, has at least three major water bodies namely, Bhainsroadgarh, Singhadiya and Borabas Talab, where these migratory geese are found. A report and a checklist of birds of Rawatbhata, published by the Gyps Nature Club members of RAPS based on a year-long survey, shows that the Bar-headed Geese were spotted in these three wetlands in the year 2013. While at the far end of mainland India, in the Koonthankulam bird sanctuary, near the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, a huge congregation of the Bar-headed Goose is seen. Just a stone’s throw away from the sanctuary lies another freshwater lake called the Kadankulam lake. These twin lakes are the preferred destinations of the Bar-headed goose, which has been revisiting this place every winter since last several years. About 2500 individuals of the Bar-headed Goose were found here in February 2014 and in March 2016. Even more interesting part of this study was the spotting of some geese with collar bands in the midst of this huge congregation; at least 10 such geese were noticed. The collar bands were in green, red and yellow and were numbered. The tagged birds “The colour and the tag number signifies two important information”, says Dr. Balachandran, Deputy Director of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and an internationally renowned bird researcher. “They represent the country which ringed the bird and the year of ringing,” he adds. The bird with a green collar band around its neck is from Mongolia, and the one with the yellow collar is from China, and so on. Ringing, tagging and satellite transmitter fixing are the techniques used by ornithologists to study the migratory pattern of birds, its flying behaviour and to monitor them. Dr. Balachandran, who is a well-known bird ringer, has ringed more than 2 lakh birds and spotted at least 30 tagged birds that were from countries like Russia, China, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iran. When birds migrate, he migrates, too. While the former migrate essentially for food and breeding, the latter does it to study them. In non-migratory seasons, he settles in a small village called Agateeswaram. Since this village is very close to the Koonthankulam bird sanctuary, he finds ample opportunities to study resident birds during non-migratory seasons. “If seeing the world’s highest-flying bird is a wonderful thing, then seeing them at your own place – right at your doorstep – is another amazing experience,” exclaims Dr. Balachandran. Text and photo: J. Devaprakash The author is Manager at NPCIL. He is also a keen bird watcher and a wildlife photographer.

Bird Watching

One of the world's highest-flying avian wintering in the backyards of three Indian nuclear power plant sites

-J. Devaprakash

Birds are meant for flying. But do all the birds have the same prowess? While most birds fly within 2000 m elevation, there are some high-altitude fliers that soar even up to great heights of around 5000 m. But the Bar-headed Goose – just a foot-long duck that weighs only 3 kg – owns an incredible flying ability to fly above the Himalayas at prodigious elevations of nearly 9000 m. And for this extraordinary feat, the bird is feted as world’s highest-flying bird.

At this altitude, where the oxygen content in the air is only half, where temperature is anything below zero degree Celsius, and where the wind blows much like a hurricane with a speed of more than 110 miles per hour, human survival is a real struggle. For a human, it takes several days to climb to an altitude of 21,000 feet, that too after undergoing an acclimatisation programme in which he has to train his body to adapt to the low oxygen levels. This requires at least a month or till he adapts to the local climatic conditions.

But the Bar-headed Goose doesn’t need any of these, thanks to its physiological strengths. It not only flies over the Himalayas which also has the planet’s tallest mountain the Mount Everest, but also manages to cross the mountain range in one single stretch of about 8 hours non-stop flight, according to several scientific reports. Amazed by this extraordinary flying ability, many scientists studied its physiological aspects to know the basis of this high-altitude flight, which unravelled several interesting facts among which two are intriguing. First, the greatest density of capillaries (the tiny blood vessels) and red blood cells found in their body supplies adequate level of oxygen to the muscles. Second, they also have a capability to breathe rapidly sans dizziness, an action called hyperventilation, which helps the bird to get required amount of oxygen into their blood.

The Migration

But why does this goose fly to such a high altitude – where atmosphere is not conducive – -risking its life? The plain and obvious answer to this puzzling question is migration. Like many other birds, the Bar-headed Goose, too, migrates mainly for two reasons: one, to escape harsh weather and two, to take advantage of abundant food available in its wintering places. While most migrants fly at moderate heights, this goose has to soar high to cross the Himalayas, as this mountain range lies between its migration route.

The migration of the Bar-headed Goose takes place twice a year. It first flies from its breeding areas in China, Mongolia and Tibet – commonly called as the land of the lamas, as these countries are known for their Buddhist priests and monasteries – to south Asia, including India, over the Himalayas at the onset of winter. After having spent the winter in a relatively moderate climate, eventually, they fly back to their breeding locations, just before summer, crossing the Himalayas once again.

In the Indian Territory, Ladakh is the only breeding place for the Bar-headed Goose, while its wintering grounds range from the northern plains to the northeast region to the southernmost tip of the country. Among its far-flung distribution range in India, the Goose is seen around three Indian nuclear power plant sites, namely, Narora Atomic Power Station (NAPS) in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS) in Rajasthan and Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) in Tamilnadu.

Observing the Bar-headed Goose and other migratory birds is part of the Environment Stewardship Programme (ESP) a voluntary initiative being pursued with an aim to monitor and conserve the biodiversity around the Indian nuclear power plant sites of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). The NAPS site, in Narora in the western part of Uttar Pradesh, has a freshwater lake called Hakkimpur wetland that attracts a great deal of migratory birds in winter besides being an abode to several resident birds all year round. “There were at least 500 individuals of the Bar-headed Goose found roosting in the Hakkimpur wetland this year,” says Raja Mandal, the secretary of NAPS nature club.

The Rawatbhata region in Rajasthan, where RAPS is located, has at least three major water bodies namely, Bhainsroadgarh, Singhadiya and Borabas Talab, where these migratory geese are found. A report and a checklist of birds of Rawatbhata, published by the Gyps Nature Club members of RAPS based on a year-long survey, shows that the Bar-headed Geese were spotted in these three wetlands in the year 2013.

While at the far end of mainland India, in the Koonthankulam bird sanctuary, near the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, a huge congregation of the Bar-headed Goose is seen. Just a stone’s throw away from the sanctuary lies another freshwater lake called the Kadankulam lake. These twin lakes are the preferred destinations of the Bar-headed goose, which has been revisiting this place every winter since last several years. About 2500 individuals of the Bar-headed Goose were found here in February 2014 and in March 2016. Even more interesting part of this study was the spotting of some geese with collar bands in the midst of this huge congregation; at least 10 such geese were noticed. The collar bands were in green, red and yellow and were numbered.

The tagged birds

“The colour and the tag number signifies two important information”, says Dr. Balachandran, Deputy Director of Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) and an internationally renowned bird researcher. “They represent the country which ringed the bird and the year of ringing,” he adds. The bird with a green collar band around its neck is from Mongolia, and the one with the yellow collar is from China, and so on.

Ringing, tagging and satellite transmitter fixing are the techniques used by ornithologists to study the migratory pattern of birds, its flying behaviour and to monitor them. Dr. Balachandran, who is a well-known bird ringer, has ringed more than 2 lakh birds and spotted at least 30 tagged birds that were from countries like Russia, China, Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Iran. When birds migrate, he migrates, too. While the former migrate essentially for food and breeding, the latter does it to study them. In non-migratory seasons, he settles in a small village called Agateeswaram. Since this village is very close to the Koonthankulam bird sanctuary, he finds ample opportunities to study resident birds during non-migratory seasons.

“If seeing the world’s highest-flying bird is a wonderful thing, then seeing them at your own place – right at your doorstep – is another amazing experience,” exclaims Dr. Balachandran.

Text and photo: J. Devaprakash

The author is Manager at NPCIL.

He is also a keen bird watcher and a wildlife photographer.

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Indian Wildlife Club Ezine (April, 2016)

Bird Watching

From the lands of the lamas