Rohru: In a major step towards biodiversity conservation, the Rohru Forest Division on Friday launched its first large-scale scientific bird survey to document avian diversity and create baseline ecological data for future conservation planning and habitat monitoring.
The survey is being carried out jointly by forest officials, frontline staff and bird experts across multiple forest ranges of the division. Officials said the initiative aims to scientifically assess bird diversity and strengthen long-term biodiversity monitoring, habitat management and ecological conservation efforts in the region.
On the opening day, a survey team led by noted naturalist and bird expert Ankush Thakur trekked nearly 10 kilometres from Baggi to Gawas along with forest department personnel and field staff. The team recorded around 70 bird species during the exercise, highlighting the rich avian diversity of the region.
According to available eBird records, several rare and notable species were spotted during the survey, including the Brown Bullfinch, Black-and-Yellow Grosbeak, Fire-breasted Flowerpecker and Lesser Cuckoo. Experts said the presence of these species indicates a healthy forest ecosystem and underlines the high biodiversity value of the Rohru landscape.
Speaking on the occasion, Ankush Thakur said the first survey trek proved highly successful due to excellent habitat conditions and remarkable bird diversity along the route. He stressed that such scientific documentation is essential for understanding ecosystem health and can also support responsible eco-tourism activities in the future.
DCF N. Ravishankar said the survey has been launched to systematically document the region’s bird diversity and generate baseline scientific data. He added that the findings would serve as an important reference for future biodiversity studies, conservation planning and long-term ecological monitoring in the division.
The bird survey is expected to continue across different forest habitats and altitudinal zones of the Rohru Forest Division in the coming days.
