Poonch (J&K), June 10, 2011: Records made during a survey along the Pir Panjal range have confirmed presence of the extremely rare western tragopan (Tragopan melanocephalus) at two new sites in Jammu and Kashmir. Sightings and calls of the pheasant were validated at the Kalamund-Tatakuti and Khara Rakh areas of the range.

Interactions with locals during a preliminary survey in April on the enigmatic Kashmir Markhor, conducted by the Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) in collaboration with the Department of Wildlife Protection and the Department of Forest, Jammu and Kashmir and Nature Conservation Foundation, suggested possible occurrence of the tragopan, called Daan-e-gir in Kashmiri, in the area. Assisted by locals, a team returned in May to authenticate the inforamation. 

A schedule I species on the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act and listed as ‘Vulnerable’ by the IUCN Red List, the western tragopan is a medium-sized, brightly colored pheasant endemic to the western Himalayas and inhabits coniferous forests.

“The bird is extremely shy and silent.  But knowing that the best way to locate the species would be during its breeding season, when it becomes highly vocal, we returned in May,” said Riyaz Ahmad, the team leader and Assistant Manager, Species Division of WTI.

A victim of rampant poaching for its meat and plumage and habitat degradation and fragmentation, the western tragopan has previously been reported only from Kazinag range and Kishtawar National Park in the state. A few scattered records occur from Sud Mahadeo area of Jammu province.

“I was pleasantly surprised to note the tragopan’s presence in these areas. Unlike its usual haunts, the moist north facing coniferous slopes, the present sites are located on the south face of Pir Panjal along Poonch. The immediate step would be to gauge what numbers exist at these sites to effect conservation,”said Dr Rahul Kaul, South Asia Representative, IUCN SSC Galliformes Specialist Group and Chief Ecologist, WTI.

In addition to western tragopan, the team also sighted another threatened species in the region, the cheer pheasant (Catreus wallichii). Ecologically diverse and representative of western Himalayan forests possessing key species such as the markhor, brown bear and musk deer, the team has recommended Kalamund-Tatakuti for notification as a protected area.

File photo: A male cheer pheasant