Kinnaur
In a noteworthy development for Himachal Pradesh’s avifaunal records, the Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis) has been sighted in Rakchham village, Kinnaur district, marking the species’ first-ever record for the region. This wetland-dependent bird is typically found in lowland marshes and reed beds across South and Southeast Asia. Its presence in the high-altitude terrain of Rakchham (~3,100 m) is ecologically significant and echoes a similar rare sighting from Kaza, Lahaul & Spiti in 2021.
Such altitudinal anomalies in bird distribution may reflect habitat plasticity, climate-linked dispersal, or underexplored migratory patterns. For conservationists and researchers, these records underscore the need to monitor wetland-associated species even in Himalayan landscapes traditionally considered unsuitable for them.
This sighting enriches the biodiversity profile of Kinnaur and strengthens the case for district-level avifaunal documentation.
The Yellow Bittern (Ixobrychus sinensis) is native to a wide area across Asia, including the Indian Subcontinent, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and Indonesia. Its breeding grounds are in northern India and extend east to Japan and Indonesia, while it also inhabits many other countries throughout the region.
