Journal of Threatened Taxa |
www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 October 2023 | 15(10): 24140–24143
ISSN 0974-7907
(Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print)
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8634.15.10.24140-24143
#8634 | Received 13
July 2023 | Final received 25 September 2023 | Finally accepted 03 October 2023
First sighting record of Western
Reef-Heron Egretta gularis
(Bosc, 1792) (Aves: Pelecaniformes: Ardeidae) from Jammu & Kashmir, India
Parvaiz Yousuf 1, Semran Parvaiz 2, Nisheet Zehbi 3, Sabia Altaf 4, Showkat
Maqbool 5 & Mudasir Mehmood Malik
6
1,3,4 Department of Zoology, Central
University of Kashmir, Ganderbal, Jammu & Kashmir
191201
2 Department of Environmental
Science and Management, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi 110025, India
1,2 Wildlife Conservation Fund, YPJK,
Pampore, Jammu & Kashmir 192121, India.
5,6 Wular Conservation and Management
Authority (WCMA), Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, 190001, India.
1 saleemparvaiz444@gmail.com
(corresponding author), 2 semranparvaiz@gmail.com, 3 nisheet.zehbi@gmail.com,
4 sabiaaltaf1994@gmail.com, 5 showketmaqbool123@gmail.com,
6 pcwucma@gmail.com
Editor: Carol Inskipp,
Bishop Auckland Co., Durham, UK. Date
of publication: 26 October 2023 (online & print)
Citation: Yousuf, P., S. Maqbool, S. Parvaiz,
S. Altaf, M.M. Malik & N. Zehbi (2023). First
sighting record of Western Reef-Heron Egretta
gularis (Bosc, 1792) (Aves: Pelecaniformes:
Ardeidae) from Jammu & Kashmir, India. Journal of Threatened Taxa 15(10): 24140–24143.
https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8634.15.10.24140-24143
Copyright: © Yousuf et al. 2023. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and
distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the
author(s) and the source of publication.
Funding: None.
Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.
Acknowledgements: We are highly thankful to the
management of the Wular Conservation and Management
Authority (WUCMA) for all technical support in the field.
The Western Reef-Heron or Western
Reef-Egret Egretta gularis
is a medium-sized heron that was formerly considered a subspecies of the Little
Egret E. garzetta. In addition, the dimorphic
subspecies of the Little Egret from Madagascar was previously regarded as a
subspecies of the Western Reef Heron (del Hoyo et al.
2020). This heron exhibits a slender physique, medium size, and occurs in white
or dark plumage. It possesses a long and slender neck, along with a thin bill,
dark legs, yellow feet, and notable plumes on the head, breast, and back.
Notably, the male individuals are larger in size compared to the females
(Dubois & Yésou 1995; Willoughby 2001).
Two distinct morphs can be
identified in the Western Reef-Heron. The dark morph is characterized by its
dark gray coloration, featuring a white chin and
throat. On the other hand, the white morph often leads to confusion with Little
Egret and can be differentiated primarily by bill color
and structure. Western Reef-Heron is widely distributed in coastal regions across Africa,
predominantly near muddy flats, sandy shores, and mangroves (del Hoyo et al. 2020). It is also increasingly appearing as a
vagrant species in southern Europe (Dubois & Yésou
1995). It is primarily distributed in coastal regions, with its presence almost
exclusively confined to these areas. In western Africa, it can be found from
Mauritania to Gabon. It is also observed along the eastern African coast,
ranging as far south as Kenya and Tanzania and extending northwards to the Red
Sea and the Persian Gulf (del Hoyo et al. 2020).
Furthermore, it is found along the western, southern, and southeastern
coasts of India. In India, the species has been previously spotted at numerous
locations such as Rajasthan (Sharma et al. 2015; Chhangani
& Charan 2015) and peninsular India (Byju et al. 2023). During the non-breeding season, it can
also be found along the coast of Sri Lanka (Dies et al. 2001; De Juana 2002; Dowsett et al. 2008; del Hoyo et
al. 2020). Hybrids between Little Egret and Western Reef-Heron have also been
spotted in India and Sri Lanka (Koparde & Yésou 2017). This heron primarily forages in shallow
waters, utilizing a slow walking technique to search for fish, amphibians, and
invertebrates (Dubois & Yésou 1995).
On 18 June 2023, the first-ever
documented sighting of a Western Reef-Heron was reported from Jammu &
Kashmir. The fifth author of this article, spotted the
bird at Wular Lake at 34.34360 N, 74.38370
E at 1357 h in the Saderkoot Payeen
area. This sighting expands the avifaunal diversity of Jammu & Kashmir,
adding another species to the region.
Remarkably, the Western
Reef-Heron remained in the vicinity of Wular Lake
until 13 July 2023, providing ample time for observation and study. It stood
out distinctly from other avian inhabitants of the lake and could be easily
observed feeding along the lake’s bank. This particular bird belonged to the
adult dark morph category, displaying identifiable characteristics as depicted
in Image 1–4. This sighting serves as a noteworthy contribution to our understanding
of the avian population and ecological dynamics of the region.
The dark morph of the Western
Reef-Heron exhibits a range of coloration, varying from gray-black
to pale charcoal gray. Most individuals possess a
white chin and throat, along with occasional white markings on the leading edge
of the wing and variable white patches on the upper wing. Conversely, the white
morph is rare within the nominate subspecies, with an estimated occurrence of
less than 1% in Senegambia. It is predominantly found in the southern part of
the species’ range and on São Tomé, with these individuals typically displaying
scattered gray feathers (Dubois & Yésou 1995). While records of intermediate plumage between
both morphs exist, it appears to be more frequently observed in the E. g. schistacea subspecies. During the breeding season, both
morphs develop long plumes on the nape, scapulars, and breast (Dubois & Yésou 1995; Kushlan & Hancock
2005).
Previously, no documented
sighting of the Western Reef-Heron had been recorded in the diversity-rich
region of Wular Lake. However, for the first time, it
was spotted at Wular Lake in the Saderkoot
Payeen area (Image 5). Situated at an elevation of
1,580 m, Wular Lake is one of Asia’s largest
wetlands, its location is centred on the coordinates 34.33340 N, 74.
63540 E. The lake is formed by the convergence of the flowing River
Jhelum, its major feeding route, and its tributaries. It takes the form of an
oxbow lake in the northwestern part of Kashmir,
approximately 35 km away from Srinagar city. Functioning as a vast absorption
basin for floodwaters, the lake plays a vital role in maintaining the water
flow necessary for agriculture, hydropower generation, and recreational
activities such as kayaking and rafting in the Kashmir valley. The deepest
section of the lake is located on its western side, opposite the hills of Baba
Shakur Din, reaching a maximum depth of 5.8 m. The sole outlet of the lake is
the river Jhelum, situated towards the northeast. The catchment area of the
lake consists of sloping hills from the Zanskar ranges in the western
Himalayas, with runoff flowing through various nallahs,
including Erin and Madhumati. The low-lying regions
of Sonawari can be found on the eastern and southern
banks of the river, which were prone to frequent flooding before the
construction of multiple embankments along the Jhelum. Historically, farmers
cultivated paddy fields and maintained willow, poplar, and fruit tree
plantations in the reclaimed lake area. Paddy fields have been established in the
low-lying areas on the western side, along the Sopore-Watlab
corridor. The area where this bird species was spotted is a marshy area with no
deep waters. This may be the reason why the bird occupied and lived in such a
part of Wular Lake. Herons usually prefer shallow
areas where they can wait for long hours to catch prey (mostly fish) as they
need a substrate to settle on. This explains the bird species favouring this
particular area for feeding for over 25 days, as such an area is optimum for
the bird’s survival. In 1986, the Indian government recognized Wular Lake as a wetland of national importance, followed by
its designation as a wetland of international significance by the Ramsar Convention in 1990 (Bhat & Pandit 2014).
The lake has emerged as a significant
hotspot for its diversity of bird species. Many species have been recently
sighted in Wular Lake that were previously absent
from the Kashmir valley. Earlier this year, Long-tailed Ducks Clangula hyemalis
and Smew Mergellus
albellus were observed in the Kashmir valley
after a gap of 84 and 116 years, respectively (Yousuf et al. 2023b, inpress). At the same time, Horned Grebes Podiceps auratus were sighted for the first
time in the Wular Lake of Jammu & Kashmir in
early 2023 (Zargar et al. 2023). Similarly, in 2022,
the White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla was sighted in Wular
Lake for the first time from Jammu & Kashmir (Yousuf 2023a). We hope and
predict the arrival of numerous other bird species at this exquisite Ramsar site in the Kashmir valley in the years to follow.
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