Sanctuary Asia — January 2018

Sanctuary | Natural History

Text and illustrations by Sumit Sen

Birds

Beasts (^) Part -2 (^)

&

While the list of extinct animals is accepted without

much debate, there are other animals that we have probably

lost, whose extinction cannot be positively proven. It is far

easier to determine the status of large animals that leave

a discernible sign of their presence than of smaller birds

and mammals, particularly if they are diffi cult to spot or

notice. Declaring such species extinct requires hard work

and commitment. In the absence of both, what you have is

optimistic conjecture. For instance, it is enough to surmise

that a bird that was always rare, has not been seen yet since

1876, may still be surviving somewhere in the country!

Welcome to the world of hope, the Himalayan Quail

and the Pink-headed Duck! Apart from these two

birds, other species featured on these pages are Indian

endemics not yet considered extinct by any reliable expert

or authority, but whose numbers are so low that their

In the second part of the series, birdman, author and naturalist extraordinaire, Sumit Sen, writes

about species that have not been recorded for several decades, but cannot be categorised as ‘extinct’

given the diffi culty in spotting them.

The human-infl icted extinction story of India

existence is almost certainly in peril. Most have not been

conclusively documented in the wild for over 35 years.

They are signifi cant, because, being endemics, we are solely

responsible for their fate. This list of imperiled birds and

beasts concludes with a set of three large endangered

animals that are symbolic in diff erent ways. The fi rst two

are endemic deer species, from two extreme strife-torn

corners of India, confi ned to small Protected Areas. Both

will struggle for survival in the wild and both are unique in

our country’s wildlife inventory. We conclude with the last

threatened Indian animal on our list – an iconic bird whose

future is so tenuous that all the lessons of conservation

success and failure may not be enough to save it. We are, of

course, talking about the very grand Great Indian Bustard,

which could well have been India’s National Bird, but for its

unfortunate name!

Himalayan Quail

An enigmatic species. It is only known from a few winter records prior to 1877 from the Mussoorie and Nainital area in present-

day Uttarakhand. And the bird was only seen at dawn and dusk! Conventional logic suggests that the quail was seen in its wintering

grounds, and was an altitudinal migrant. However, there is absolutely no information on the location of its breeding grounds making it

an Indian endemic by default based on available information. It is possible that the species summered in parts that were inaccessible

before falling victim to the combined pressures of climate change, habitat loss and hunting. There has been some eff ort in the last

decade to rediscover the bird, spurred by reported opportunistic sightings. It would be nothing short of

a miracle if this small monotypic pheasant is found again in India.

Scientifi c name: Ophrysia superciliosa

Range: Winters in the western Himalaya and known from Mussoorie and Nainital areas

of Uttarakhand

Conservation status: Critically Endangered, presumed extinct if not rediscovered by 2023

Last confi rmed sighting: 1876

Cause of decline: Habitat loss, hunting and presumed climate-related negative impact

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