7 months ago

Assam's State Bird Faces Extinction Crisis

Assam's State Bird Faces Extinction Crisis
Assam’s state bird on the brink as White-winged Wood Duck faces extinction crisis · assamtribune.com

The white-winged wood duck, also known as Deo Hah, is Assam's state bird.

It is a large, shy bird with white wings and a brown body.

It lives in quiet freshwater pools inside dense forests.

Unfortunately, this bird is in big trouble.

Many years ago, it was common in Assam's forests, but now it is very hard to find.

The main reasons are that people are cutting down trees, destroying wetlands, and building things in the forests.

There are also oil rigs that disturb the bird's home.

Experts are worried because they don't know how many of these ducks are left.

They believe the duck lives in only two protected areas now.

The bird needs urgent help to survive, and people need to know more about it to protect it.

Key facts

Scientific Name
Asarcornis scutulata
Local Name
Deo Hah
Conservation Status
Critically Endangered (IUCN)
Known Habitats
Dihing-Patkai National Park, Nameri Tiger Reserve
Threats
Deforestation, Wetland Loss, Habitat Fragmentation, Human Interference, Oil Exploration
Population Status
Unknown, believed to be very low
Last Recorded Range
Upper Assam in the 1990s

Quotes

Aftab Ahmed

Biologist with the Wildlife Trust of India

“The white-winged wood duck is facing extinction threat due to multiple factors. At present, it is believed to survive only in Dihing-Patkai and Nameri, but the actual population size is unknown. What is more worrying is the lack of public awareness. Many people don’t even know this is Assam’s State bird.”
assamtribune.com

Devojit Moran

Local nature enthusiast

“There are several oil rigs in the Dihing-Patkai landscape, and habitat disturbance is visible in many places. I urge the government and Oil India Limited to ensure that the habitat of this rare duck is not disturbed.”
assamtribune.com

Sources

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