Rare Smew duck sighted for the first time in Kaziranga Tiger Reserve (KTR) during 7th Waterbird Count

Key facts

• The Smew (Mergellus albellus), a rare diving duck, was recorded for the first time in the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve (KTR) during the 7th Waterbird Count.
• The sighting occurred at the Rowmari-Donduwa beels within the Laokhowa buffer zone of the UNESCO World Heritage site in Assam.
• A total of 105,540 waterbirds were recorded during the census, which was conducted in phases from 4 January to 11 January.
• The Smew is a winter migrant to India from the Eurasian taiga breeding grounds and is known to favour fish-rich, sheltered waters.
• The survey was a collaborative effort between the Kaziranga Park Authority and the Assam Bird Monitoring Network (ABMN).
• Kaziranga encompasses two Important Bird Areas (IBAs) recognised for their significance to waterbirds: Kaziranga National Park and the Laokhowa and Burhachapori wildlife sanctuaries.
• Previous sightings of the Smew in India have been recorded in Haiderpur, Uttar Pradesh (UP), in 2021 and earlier around Corbett.
• The Smew is globally abundant with a population of approximately 1.3 lakh mature individuals but is currently declining due to habitat loss.