Kaziranga (Assam) [India], April 8 (HBTV): An endangered fishing eagle tagged in Mongolia has once again returned to Kaziranga National Park in Assam, marking its fifth consecutive breeding season in the region. The bird was recorded by scientists from the Bombay Natural History Society on March 16 this year.

According to Dr Batmunkh of the Wildlife Science and Conservation Centre (WSCC), the male Pallas's fish eagle, ringed A25 and named Ider, was tagged at Buuntsagaan Lake in Central Western Mongolia on August 21, 2020. Since then, Ider has returned annually to Kaziranga for breeding, changing its nesting location only once. During the non-breeding season, from June to September, the eagle migrates back to Buuntsagaan Lake.

The Pallas's fish eagle (Haliaeetus leucoryphus), listed as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, remains one of the most poorly studied raptors in its range. Once locally common across central and southern Asia, its population declined significantly during the 20th century. Reports from BirdLife International indicate the species has disappeared from former strongholds like the Caspian region and Kazakhstan.

Due to its decreasing population, the IUCN classified the species as vulnerable in 2016 and subsequently reclassified it as endangered in 2021. The estimated number of mature individuals in the wild is between 2,500 and 9,999.

Dr Sonali Ghosh, Field Director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, explained that the Pallas's fish eagle displays a rare "reverse migration" pattern—breeding in Kaziranga during the winter (November to March) and returning to Mongolia during the summer. She remarked, ‘Kaziranga is one of the best locations to watch the Pallas’s fish eagle in the world.’

Kaziranga lies along the Central Asian Flyway (CAF), one of nine global migratory bird routes that stretch from the northern breeding grounds in Siberia to southern regions including South Asia, the Maldives, and the British Indian Ocean Territory. The flyway supports 279 populations of 182 migratory waterbird species across 30 countries, including India.

India, situated at the heart of CAF, hosts approximately 370 migratory bird species, with 310 species primarily depending on wetlands. ‘The country’s wetlands, covering 15.26 million hectares, serve as vital habitats for over 200 waterbird species,’ said Dr Ghosh. ‘Kaziranga and other wetlands in northeastern India are critical wintering grounds for birds from both the CAF and East Asian–Australasian Flyway (EAAF).’

Despite global advances in telemetry-based studies of raptor movements, less than one per cent of India’s bird species have been studied using satellite telemetry. Dr Ghosh emphasized the need for more such studies, noting Kaziranga’s 119-year-old conservation legacy and its reputation as one of the world’s finest protected areas.

The Kaziranga Tiger Reserve spans 1,302 square kilometres, with over 50 percent covered by grasslands interspersed with beels (water bodies). These, along with the Brahmaputra River and its tributaries—the Dhansiri, Difloo, and Laokhowa Suti—provide ideal habitats for both resident and migratory birds.

Kaziranga National Park (IBA Code: IN-AS-03) and the Laokhowa and Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuaries (IBA Code: IN-AS-02) are recognised as Important Bird Areas (IBAs). During the 6th Kaziranga Waterbird Count conducted on January 11 and 12, 2025, officials recorded 124 species of water and wetland-dependent birds—totalling 112,062 individuals from 25 families across 189 beels. Of these, 62 species were winter migrants.

The IUCN Red List identifies seven species sighted as globally threatened and 15 as near threatened. Notable sightings included the critically endangered Baer’s pochard and the endangered Pallas’s fish eagle. The bar-headed goose registered the highest count with 20,845 individuals, while five species—including the knob-billed duck, Baer’s pochard, falcated duck, white-tailed eagle, and greater white-fronted goose—were observed for the first time.

Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma recently posted on X: ‘The endangered Pallas’s Fish Eagle, tagged in Mongolia, has made Kaziranga its breeding ground for five straight years, putting Assam on the map of epic bird migrations. Witnessed these winged wonders.’ (ANI)