Salcaded Duck arrived for the First Time at Pong Dam Lake

In Himachal Pradesh, more than 1.20 lakh migratory birds from Siberia and Central Asian countries descended on Maharana Pratap Sagar, popularly known as Pong Dam Lake, in Kangra district. Although, 415 species of migratory birds had landed at different places of the Pong Dam over the past 10 years, it is for the first time that 'salcaded duck' has arrived in this wetland.  

The migratory birds from trans-Himalayan regions had started reaching the Pong Dam wildlife sanctuary in October 2011. Besides a maximum of 25000 bar-headed geese, various other species landed in good numbers, including common pochard, ruddy shell ducks, Eurasion wigeon and pintail.

The Wildlife department, in collaboration with the Bombay National History Society, put 15 collar bands and seven transmitters on 22 migratory birds with an objective to get their location details, flying path and breeding grounds to understand their migration routes.