30/01/2019
Conservationists
are worried by the increasing disturbance of prime White-bellied Heron habitat in Bhutan.
White-bellied
Heron, the world's second-largest heron, is one of the world's rarest birds and
is classified as Critically Endangered. It is feared that fewer than 60
individuals remain, with an estimated 24 of these (plus five juveniles) in
Bhutan, where it is patchily distributed. Elsewhere, it is found in northern
Myanmar. It favours fast-moving mountain rivers.
The area
of Phochhu was declared an Important Bird Area in 2014. However, researchers
from the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature (RSPN), birders and rafting
operators have all suggested that the heron's population at Phochhu and nearby
Mochhu has declined over the years.
Hishey
Tshering, a local birder, said that he saw up to five individuals in the area
in 2001. "Now it is very rare to see even a single [White-bellied Heron]
along the Mochhu. In 2016, there were three along the Phochhu. Today, we can
see only one and that is also being continually disturbed."
Chief of
communications and membership division with RSPN, Tashi Phuntsho, said that the
heron was a secretive species that is generally intolerant of humans.
"Disturbance from humans and loss of habitat undoubtedly attributed to
their extirpation over much of their former range. Threats to these birds are
further intensified by the growing tourism activities like rafting and kayaking
along the important habitats. There are more than three rafting companies
operating along Phochhu and Mochhu rivers in Punakha."
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