Records of some rare birds from Farakka Barrage (West Bengal, India)

The increasing instances of reclamation and conversionof wetlands into agricultural fields, industry, minesand dams have made wetlands one of the most threatened habits in India. This in turn has affected many wetland-dependent birds and nearly 29 species of water dependent birds in India are threatened with extinction (Islam & Rahmani 2002). Due to expansion of agriculture, species like Sarus Crane Grus antigone, which was common in almost all parts of the country only a century ago, have been reduced to small isolated pockets in north and north-western India (Gopi Sundar 2001). However with the disappearance of natural wetlands, several artificial wetlands have become important for the conservation of waterbirds (Mischenko 2002). Indian sub-continental examples of such wetlands that are wintering sites for globally threatened species are Pong Dam in Himachal Pradesh, Kosi Barrage in Nepal and Chasma Barrage in Pakistan. In West Bengal too natural wetlands are under severe threat. Some artificial wetlands like Durgapur Barrage have traditionally been an important site for wintering waterbirds (Gauntlett 1972). The Farakka Barrage and adjoining area on Ganges River in Malda district (West Bengal) is a major wintering site for thousands of migratory waterbirds and has been designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International (Islam & Rahmani 2004). A list of birds of the area is available from the author on request. Notes on some of the rarer visitors to Farakka Barrage are given below. Darter Anhinga melanogaster (NT): One or two birds are regularly seen near the barrage during winter. Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus (NT): On 3.xi.2005 a pair was seen flying over the barrage. On 12.ii.2006