ZIRO, Apr 1: Siikhe Lake, which is located approximately 12 km from the Lower Subansiri district headquarters, has evolved into an important habitat for both migratory and resident bird species since its existence, as over 15 species of birds, including the iconic Mandarin Duck, are recorded here every year.
This artificial lake, developed as a visionary initiative by former minister Tage Taki, primarily aimed at facilitating groundwater recharge. Notably, the site was once a wetland rice field before its transformation into a lake.
The lake consistently hosts a variety of migratory waterbirds during the peak migration season and has also become one of the most preferred tourist destinations in the district.
Since 2019, a team from Ziro Birds Walk has been actively monitoring bird migration and conducting waterbird population counts during the peak season from November to May. These efforts are carried out with the support of the Siikhe Multipurpose Society, which serves as the caretaker of the lake.
The first official waterbird census was conducted in 2019 with eminent birders from Assam, Prof Ranjan Kumar Das and Manash Pritam. In the same year, Prof Daniel Mize, who teaches ornithology, wildlife, and ecology in the Department of Zoology at Rajiv Gandhi University, conducted research on the influence of season and altitude on bird community diversity and composition, migration patterns, spatial range, habitat suitability (including future predictions), and phylogenetic analysis. He was accompanied by Prof Franz Bairlein from the Institute of Avian Research, Wilhelmshaven, Lower Saxony, Germany.
In the past week, more than 100 individuals belonging to 9 species were observed roosting at Siikhe Lake. The recorded species include Mallard Duck, Northern Shoveler, Ferruginous Duck, Eurasian Wigeon, Tufted Duck, Gadwall, Northern Pintail, Garganey, and Great Crested Grebe. More species are expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
This observation was witnessed by Tilling Taker, Divisional Forest Officer; Kago Oniya, Range Forest Officer; and Millo Tako, birder and wildlife filmmaker. (DIPRO)