TINSUKIA- THE SHANGRI-LA FOR bird lovers and AVIAN PHOTOGRAPHERS

A Wildlife Photographer is what I always wanted to become. Today, although I am not a professional photographer but photography is my passion and also the medium to observe and connect with Mother Nature. The impact of wildlife documentaries showcased on channels like National Geographic, Discovery etc. was such that it often took me to a dreamland where I was the explorer, exploring the virgin lands of Northeast India through the medium of photography.From my very childhood, I was quite aware of the rich flora and fauna of northeast India but it was not until 2007 when I started taking photography seriously and observe the splendors of Mother Nature closely. Subject that fascinates me most is the avian diversity of the region. I wonder how something can be so beautiful, charismatic and even more obscure.

As much as 25 per cent of Indias list of threatened birds (as classified by Birdlife International in their 2008 IUCN Red List) feature in Dibru-Saikhowas bird list. Some notable species include Bengal Florican, White-winged Duck, Greater Adjutant, White-rumped Vulture, Slender-billed Vulture, Red-headed Vulture, Swamp Prinia, Black breasted Parrotbill, Marsh Babbler, Jerdons Babbler, Slender-billed Babbler, Swamp Francolin, etc. Assam, the gateway to northeast India is extremely rich in bird life and accounts for nearly 900 bird species. This richness and diversity in bird species is due to the fact that the northeast and Assam in particular, is a meeting place of two zoogeographic sub-regions, Indian and Indo-Chinese, within the framework of the Oriental (or Indo-Malayan) Zoogeographic Region (Choudhury 2000). The International Council for Bird Preservation, UK identified the Assam plains and the Eastern Himalaya as an Endemic Bird Area (Bibby et al.1998) that supports two critically endangered species, three endangered species and 14 vulnerable species of birds (Islam and Rahmani 2004). Stattersfield et al. (1998) identified 22 restricted range species out of which 19 are confined to this region and the remaining three are also present in other endemic and secondary areas. Eleven out of the 22 restricted range species found in this region are considered as threatened (Birdlife International 2001), a number greater than in any other EBA of India (Stattersfield et al. 1998).

Grey Cheek Warbler-Digboi This write up basically deals with the easternmost district of Tinsukia, which is a haven for the wildlife photographers and birders alike. The vegetation and the geographical location of the district support a number of endemic birds with globally threatened status. The district is home to the famous Dibru-Saikhowa National Park that includes Poba Reserve Forest, Kobo chapori (river islands), Amarpur chapori, Maguri and Motapung beel (lake), and the adjacent riverine tract of the Brahmaputra and Lohit rivers. As much as 25 per cent of Indias list of threatened birds (as classified by Birdlife International in their 2008 IUCN Red List) feature in Dibru-Saikhowas bird list. Some notable species include Bengal Florican, White-winged Duck, Greater Adjutant, White-rumped Vulture, Slender-billed Vulture, Red-headed Vulture, Swamp Prinia, Black breasted Parrotbill, Marsh Babbler, Jerdons Babbler, Slender-billed Babbler, Swamp Francolin, etc.

White wing wood Duck-Upper Dihing (east) ComplexUpper Dihing (East) & Upper Dihing (West) Complex which are a part of Dehing-Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary are two other important areas located in the district that supports a wide range of avian diversity. Upper Dihing (East) Complex includes four reserve forests, namely Upper Dihing (East Block) including the area leased to oil fields (13,168 ha), Kakojan (2,345 ha), Duarmara (653 ha) and Torani (2,040 ha) Reserve Forests. The Upper Dihing (East Block), Kakojan and Digboi Oil field areas are contiguous, while Torani and Duarmara are isolated areas some distance away. These forests are among the last remaining patches of Tropical Evergreen Forests of some significance in Assam. Upper Dehing (West) Complex includes six Reserve Forests and three proposed Reserve Forests, all contiguous with each other. The areas constituting this IBA are Upper Dihing (27,500 ha), Joypur (10,870 ha), Dirak including additions (3,708 ha), Dilli (3,030 ha), Makumpani including additions (538 ha), Desali (200 ha), Digboi west block (929 ha). Together they form the largest contiguous tropical rainforest area extant in the whole of Brahmaputra Valley (Choudhury 1996a). These forests, especially Upper Dihing (West Block) have the largest known population of the globally endangered White-winged Duck Cairina scutulata (Choudhury 1996a, 1998). Together with other forests, the estimated population is higher than in any IBA in the world (BirdLife International 2001, Choudhury 2000).

Striped tit Babbler-Digboi As many as 402 bird species have been recorded from the area with more than 12 species globally threatened. These Wildlife Sanctuaries is home to 5 species of hornbills, 6 species of Galliformes, 10 species of Strigiformes, 20 species of Piciformes, 14 species of Culumbiformes, and 16 species of flycatchers (as per data gathered by Mridu Paban Phukan). 3 critically endangered species including White-rumped vulture, Slender billed Vulture, White bellied Heron; 2 nos. of endangered species including White winged Duck, Rufous necked Hornbill; 3 nos. of vulnerable species namely Pale capped Pigeon, Lesser Adjutant, Beautiful Nuthatch; and 6 nos. of near threatened species including White cheek Partridge, Ferruginous duck, Blyths Kingfisher, Chestnut backed Laughingthrush, Great Hornbill, White throated Brown Hornbill have been recorded from these areas. The district is also enriched with a number of less known but potential bird areas like Bherjan-Borajan-Podumoni WLS, Phillobari RF, Hoolonghabi RF, Lakhipather RF, Doomdooma RF, Buridehing RF, Duarmara RF, Tokowani RF, Dangori RF, Deopani RF, etc.

As many as 402 bird species have been recorded from the area with more than 12 species globally threatened. 3 critically endangered species including White-rumped vulture, Slender billed Vulture, White bellied Heron; 2 nos. of endangered species including White winged Duck, Rufous necked Hornbill; 3 nos. of vulnerable species namely Pale capped Pigeon, Lesser Adjutant, Beautiful Nuthatch; and 6 nos. of near threatened species including White cheek Partridge, Ferruginous duck, Blyths Kingfisher, Chestnut backed Laughingthrush, Great Hornbill, White throated Brown Hornbill have been recorded from these areas.But in spite of this, awareness regarding the rich avian diversity of the district is confined to a certain section of the society only. This lack of awareness has resulted in an unexpected decline in the population of a number of endemic species. Illegal chopping of trees, destruction of grasslands due to human activities, and killing of birds for meat and feathers are the contributing factors towards this decline. Till date, the role of governmental agencies as well as NGOs towards educating and creating awareness among the villagers regarding the importance of conservation has been very negligible. But lately, it has been observed that many upcoming youths of Tinsukia have shown keen interest in birding and avian photography. This upcoming trend is a result of the technical revolution in the field of photography and mass communication. Easy availability of digital cameras including DSLRs at affordable price have encouraged the youths to take up avian photography as an area of interest. They have realized that the district has tremendous potentialities in avian photography. Social networking sites like facebook, twitter, etc. have also contributed a lot towards popularizing this trend and have also contributed in promoting the district as a potential birding destination.

As a result of these activities, a number of bird species that were not recorded earlier within the political boundary of the district were identified and photographed, which is a very encouraging sign for the entire birding community. Apart from recording of new species, new potential sites are being identified that supports a wide range of avian diversity but are less known to the general masses. The best part of these activities is that some amount of awareness has been noticed among few villagers and they too are realizing the need and importance of conservation. Many local youths have taken up guiding as a source of income. As these youths are quite familiar with the geography of these areas, they have proved to be effective guides for the tourists. A few other youths have engaged themselves with eco-tourism and have opened cottages to ensure hygienic food and comfortable stay to the tourists.As a whole, if we carefully examine, it would come to light that the entire trend is directly or indirectly having some impact on the entire socio-economic condition of the people living in the nearby areas where birding activities have taken place. People are in general becoming aware of the restrictions on illegal poaching and the punishments imposed thereon. Sighting of unknown/ uncommon species quite frequently is carrying a positive message to the entire birding community and the number of tourists visiting the district is increasing every year. Therefore, it is the right time to promote the diverse avifauna of the district before the world arena and social networking sites can play a significant role in this regard. The governmental agencies should also frame plans and policies that will attract tourists and boost tourism sector in the district. An all round effort from Government, NGOs, Educational Institutions as well as individuals can contribute a lot towards making the conservation story a success. (Text & photograph-deborshee gogoi, assistant professor, digboi college)

From top to bottom: 1.Snowy Browed Flycatcher; 2. Marsh Babbler; 3. Jerdons Babbler; 4. Black breasted Parrotbill.