Birds and Mammals of the Wakha Valley in Northern India

Introduction

Ladakh, spanning over an area of about 85,000 km2 lies in the rain shadow of the Greater Himalaya. Due to its location at the boundary between two bio-geographic realms, it harbours a diverse assemblage of birds and mammals [1]. Mammalian fauna comprises 34 species which include eight wild ungulates and twelve carnivores [2, 3]. Over 320 species of birds have been reported from the region [2, 4, 5].

Ladakh was an important hunting area for the British officials in the 20th Century, and anecdotal and preliminary information on mammals of the region can be found in the diaries of many British hunters [6]. However, scientific investigation on mammals began only in the 1970s [7], and more detailed researches on the taxon were conducted [3, 8, 9] followed by species specific surveys to know the status and distribution of mammals such as Ladakh urial [10], Tibetan gazelle [11, 12], Tibetan argali [13], and the snow leopard [14, 15].

Early expeditions to study bird species of Ladakh were initiated in 1859(16). Thereafter, birds were studied by several researchers [17, 18, 19]. After the Independence of India, Ladakh remained closed for western explorers till late 1970. Holmes visited Ladakh in 1986 to study the distribution of birds in the Suru Valley, and then many more followed suit [4, 5, 20, 21, 22].

Most of the studies on birds and mammals in Ladakh were carried out in the eastern part, and the Kargil area remained virtually unexplored. Only a few studies on birds and mammals in this area [21, 22, 23, 24] were carried out. Recognizing this dearth of information, we conducted a survey in the Wakha valley of Kargil to document the birds and mammals of the region.

Methods

Data on mammals were collected in February and March, while data on birds were collected in April and May, 2013. We stratified the valley into five habitat types’ namely riverine, agricultural, alpine meadows, steppe vegetation and barren areas. Riverine areas included areas along river and streams with willow and poplar plantation whereas alpine meadows were characterised by gentle slopes with forb vegetation. Steppe vegetation areas are habitats with Artemesia spp. and Tanacetum spp. as dominant species.

For the mammals, we scanned the area from vantage points. Equal amount of time was spent in each habitat type. Stratification was necessary as the area has a mosaic of different habitat types. We relied on direct sightings in case of mammalian herbivores, and on signs in case of carnivorous species. Whenever animals were sighted, we recorded the GPS coordinates, altitude and slope angle of their locations. In case of the ungulates, we also recorded the number of individuals in a group, age and sex composition. The age and sex of the animals were determined through observing body size, distinct markings, and horn size [2, 7].

To observe birds we walked along the river bank with willow and juniper trees, alpine meadows and trails. We stopped at every 100 meter and spent 10 minutes scanning the trees and vegetated slopes for birds. Whenever a bird was located, we noted down the species name, number of individuals, habitat type and GPS coordinates. We walked in the morning between 0600 and 0900 hrs and in the evening between 1600 and 1830 hrs. Birds were identified using the pocket guide to the birds of the Indian subcontinent [26]. Since no animal was handled during the study we did not need ethical clearance.

Discussion

We recorded 12 species of wild mammals in the Wakha Valley. Ladakh urial and Asiatic ibex were the most prominent species observed. The ibex was observed in steeper areas with slopes steeper than 30 degrees whereas urial occurred in gentler areas with slope angle of < 30 degrees [10, 27]. Asiatic ibex and long-tailed marmot occurred in similar terrain type [28]. The average group size of ibex was less than 11, which is consistent with that reported in other parts of the Kargil district [23].

The mammalian carnivores that we recorded were red fox, Tibetan wolf and the snow leopard. We observed 8 individuals of red fox, while only the signs such as pugmarks, scrapes and scats were recorded of the other species. Snow leopard signs were always found near cliff base, along ridgelines or the base of over-hanging rocks. We recorded one omnivore: brown bear. Signs of this species were found mostly in the riparian and rocky areas. Bear use rocky areas as transitory routes hence their signs in this habitat type. Local people also reported the presence of the Eurasian otter, stone martin, Himalayan weasel, pikas and voles. However, we did not observe any of these species during the survey.

As far as the birds are concerned, we recorded equal number of residents and migratory birds. The birds recorded were dominated by Passeriformes, which is consistent with other reports on avifauna from the region [2, 21, 22]. Species composition in the area was similar to that recorded elsewhere in Ladakh. As almost half of the species recorded were summer visitors, it is pertinent to mention that the area serve as an important area for migratory birds. We observed maximum number of bird species in riverine habitats and agricultural fields. This is perhaps due to the season of the survey, which was carried out in May when other habitat types were still dry.

Talking to knowledgeable people in the area, we came to know that the major challenges for the mammal conservation are rapid infrastructure development, retaliatory killing of wild predators when the latter kill livestock, and competition of wild ungulates with domestic livestock. Feral dogs are also important threats to wild animals in the region. Lack of awareness among people about the importance of wildlife is also a major challenge. The resultant administrative apathy is a major stumbling block to wildlife conservation. The most despised wild animals are the brown bear and the snow leopard. Brown bear kills livestock as well as raid ration stores, while the snow leopard is notorious for getting inside livestock corrals and killing multiple livestock, especially sheep and goats in a single night.

For the birds, extensive use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides are the main threats, as a majority of the birds were recorded in agricultural habitats. People rely on artificial fertilizers and pesticides largely due to heavy subsidy on these products, and also due to global warming and associated surge in the population of pests. Furthermore, greater economic opportunities also have led to people keeping less livestock, the main source of manure. Another important threat to the birds is the modification of riverine habitats for agriculture and plantation.

Acknowledgment

We thank the people of Wakha Valley for their support during the field work. We thank the Village Sarpanch and Panch, Master Tsering and Akhone Abdullah for their invaluable help during the field work, and for arranging accommodation for the field team. We also thank the J&K Wildlife Protection Department for their permission to carry out the survey. We are indebted to friends and staff members at the Department of Wildlife Science, Aligarh Muslim University for their constant support and encouragement during the research work. Departmental Research Committee at Department of Wildlife Science, AMU is acknowledged for approving the research work.