Galloanserae and Aquatic Neoaves of Pong Dam Wetland, Himachal Pradesh: Status and Conservation Issues - Aquatic Ecosystem: Biodiversity, Ecology and Conservation - page 305

Table 18.3 (c ontinued)

Abundance
at Pong Dam

Name of the species Scientifi c name Status

Sl. no.

Family: Glareolidae
117 Oriental pratincole Glareola maldivarum LC 1

118 Little pratincole Glareola lactea LC 5

Family: Laridae
119 Common gull Larus canus LC 1

120 Caspian gull Larus cachinnans LC 2

121 Lesser black-backed gull Larus fuscus LC ?

122 Pallas's gull Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus LC 3

123 Brown-headed gull Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus LC 3

124 Black-headed gull Chroicocephalus ridibundus LC 4

125 Slender-billed gull Chroicocephalus genei LC 1

126 Little gull Hydrocoloeus minutus LC 1

127 Gull-billed tern Gelochelidon nilotica LC 3

128 River tern Sterna aurantia NT 5

129 Little tern Sterna albifrons LC 2

130 Black-bellied tern Sterna acuticauda EN 2

131 Whiskered tern Chlidonias hybridus LC 3

Family: Rynchopidae
132 Indian skimmer Rynchops albicollis VU 2

Order: Coraciiformes
Family: Halcyonidae
133

White-throated kingfi sher Halcyon smyrnensis LC 3

Family: Alcedinidae
134 Common kingfi sher Alcedo atthis LC 2

Family: Cerylidae
135 Crested kingfi sher Megaceryle lugubris LC 2
136 Pied kingfi sher Ceryle rudis LC 3
LC least concern, NT near threatened, VU vulnerable, EN , endangered, CR critically endangered, and ? occurrence of
the species is doubtful

(Fig. 18.2 ). Only 7.88 % species including
thousands of geese and ducks (namely, bar-
headed goose Anser indicus , northern shoveler
Anas clypeata , northern pintail Anas acuta , com-
mon teal Anas crecca , common pochard Aythya
ferina and tufted duck Aythya fuligula ) and some
Neoaves (namely, little cormorant Phalacrocorax
niger , great cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo ,
common coot Fulica atra , little pratincole
Glareola lactea and river tern Sterna aurantia )
were abundant. Large fl ocks of wintering bar-
headed goose are the major attraction for most
ornithologists/birdwatchers (Fig. 18.3a, b ) since
this is one of the most abundant and graceful
species of Pong wetland. However, in recent years,
the population of this species has declined as

compared to the previous years. A rare species
of goose, namely, greater white-fronted goose
Anser albifrons , was also observed (Fig. 18.4 ).
Some species such as common pochard Aythya
ferina (Fig. 18.5 ) and great cormorant
Phalacrocorax carbo (Fig. 18.6 ) were seen in
large fl ocks. Slender-billed gull Chroicocephalus
genei is an occasional winter visitor at this wet-
land. Only a few individuals were seen in differ-
ent morphs (Fig. 18.7a, b ). This wetland is also
preferred by a number of waders most probably
due to availability of large mud fl ats. About 12
species of both migratory and resident lapwings
and plovers have been reported from the area.
Red-wattled lapwing Vanellus indicus is a com-
mon resident, while northern lapwing Vanellus