Mandarin duck re-sighted in Arunachal’s Siikhe Lake

Itanagar: The annual Asian Waterbird Count (AWC) in Arunachal Pradesh began with a re-sighting of the rare mandarin duck in Siikhe Lake in Ziro, underscoring the ecological importance of the wetland. The census, part of a nationwide survey from Jan 3 to 18, is being jointly conducted by the Arunachal Pradesh Birding Club and Ziro Bird Walk across major wetland and farmland habitats in Lower Subansiri district.The census is covering key wetland and farmland habitats, including Siikhe Lake, Pigey Poro traditional farmland, Yasibo wetlands, Myochi wetlands, Tarin fish pond, Khogo Kley side, and Siiro wetlands, according to AWC Arunachal Pradesh regional coordinator Koj Mama.Globally, the AWC is coordinated by Wetlands International in collaboration with eBird, with the aim of monitoring waterbird populations and assessing the health of wetlands.On the second day of the census, principal chief conservator of forests N Tam joined the field team, extending support to the conservation initiative. The mandarin duck has been recorded at the lake annually since 2022.