Himachal Wildlife Wing has pioneered in setting up a Bird Ringing Station at Salropa in prestigious Great Himalayan National Park, Kullu. This is the first ever Bird Ringing Station set up by Wildlife Wing of Himachal Pradesh Forest Department in Western Himalayan region.
A Spokesman of the Forest Department said here today that a capacity building programme was organised for the frontline staff in Bird Ringing. Dr. Francis Buner, a Senior Conservation Scientist of Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, U.K. and Mr. T.H. Walker, British Trust of Ornithology (BTO) ‘A Licensee’ Senior Bird Ringer and Trainer imparted intensive training to Wildlife staff in bird identification skills and ringing for two weeks recently.
During the programme 57 bird species were identified and more than 260 individual birds of various species were ringed with metallic rings having unique number and Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) stamp.
He said that the major aims of this capacity building Programme as well as establishing a Bird Ringing Station in Great Himalayan National Park were to establish the first bird ringing station in the Western Himalayas and act as blueprint for further stations required to study bird migration between the Indian Subcontinent and Central Asia, provide wildlife staff with the necessary basic bird identification skills needed to carry out surveys, enthuse wildlife staff and other interested groups to improve and professionalize their species identification skills. It will help to attract bird watchers and ringers to Himachal Pradesh from any western countries besides providing an excellent communication and knowledge transfer platform between the State and international species and conservation experts.
