Documenting India’s civilisational and natural heritage.
The Smew was recorded during the waterbird survey covering important wetlands within the sanctuary, including Rowmari, Dondowa and Muamari beels. Forest officials described the sighting as the first documented occurrence of the species in Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary.
The bird was photographed on August 30, 2026, by NCR-based conservationist and birder Akshit Dua, who observed it actively feeding in shallow wetland habitat alongside Common Sandpipers and Wood Sandpipers. The identification was based on a combination of features including its prominent pale supercilium, rufous-streaked crown, eye-ring, rusty-brown scalloped upperparts and diffuse breast markings.
The survey was conducted jointly by the Thiruvananthapuram Wildlife Division and Warblers and Waders, a collective of birdwatchers involved in systematic monitoring of the protected area. The findings were reported on 26 August 2026 as part of an ongoing programme designed to document seasonal changes in Peppara’s bird communities.
The recording of 165 butterfly species within the Dehing Patkai landscape is significant because butterflies respond rapidly to changes in vegetation, humidity, temperature, availability of host plants and disturbance.
The newly described species, Ghatiana karnataka, was discovered at Mavinkaru in the Mookambika Wildlife Sanctuary of Udupi district, where it inhabits moist lateritic habitats within the central Western Ghats. Its formal description was published on 21 July 2026 in the journal Species by Santanu Mitra of the Zoological Survey of India and Ajmeer K of the Karnataka Forest Department.
The White-hooded Babbler (Gampsorhynchus rufulus) was recently photographed near Rongtong in the Darjeeling foothills, marking the first documented record of the species from North Bengal since 1931. The sighting was made by birder and eBird reviewer Sandeep Biswas, who was exploring bamboo-rich habitat in the area along with fellow birders when the bird unexpectedly appeared.
The species, the Spoon-tailed Duskhawker (Gynacantha basiguttata), has now been identified from photographs taken along the Miao–Vijaynagar Road inside Namdapha. The finding represents the first verifiable photographic record of the species from Arunachal Pradesh and provides evidence strong enough for researchers to recommend its inclusion in India’s contemporary Odonata checklist.
The finding has particular importance for India because the newly revalidated species occurs across the southern Himalayan region, including northeastern India, with confirmed genetic records from Assam, as well as Nepal, South Tibet and adjoining Himalayan areas.
Forest Ranger Shailendra Solanki described the presence of the pair as an indication that the landscape is developing favourable conditions for large raptors. Bonelli’s Eagles are powerful predators capable of taking birds, reptiles and small mammals, and their presence near the top of the local food chain can reflect the availability of prey and functioning habitat at lower ecological levels.
Researchers from the Gujarat Ecological Education and Research Foundation (GEER Foundation) documented four active Black-necked Stork nests during surveys conducted between July 2024 and March 2025. Each breeding pair successfully raised two fledglings, producing eight juveniles from four nests and a 100% fledging success rate during the monitoring period.
