Abstract
Ibisbill Ibidorhyncha struthersii (Family Ibidorhynchidae), a riverine bird, faces increasing threats from direct and indirect human activities in the Indian part of its range in the Himalaya. To document the disturbances and other threats faced by the species, we conducted surveys over two years, at six sites along the high-altitude River Sindh. Sand and boulder mining was found to be the most frequent disturbance (38%, n=2268), followed by human presence (37%), livestock grazing (12%), and predation by natural predators and free-ranging dogs (9%). Other disturbances observed were by birds (4%) such as Black Kite Milvus migrans, Jackdaw Corvus monedula, and Yellow-billed Blue Magpie Urocissa flavirostris. These disturbances were highest at Kijpora (2.61 disturbances/hour) and least at Sonamarg (0.29 disturbances/hour). Kijpora witnessed the highest level of disturbances from human activities like mining, fishing, and tourism. We found that Ibisbill undertakes longer escape flights in response to human rather than non-human stimuli. Our study adds to the understanding of the species, especially the threats it faces in the Himalaya. Such information is vital for the conservation of this little-studied species that occurs largely in unprotected areas.References
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