A knob-billed duck was recorded for the first time at Pong Lake Wildlife Sanctuary, Himachal Pradesh. The solitary bird was sighted in the Sathana area of the Dhameta range on 15 June 2026 and remained nearly three days.
Observation details
- Date & location: 15 June 2026; Pong Lake Wildlife Sanctuary, Sathana area, Dhameta range.
- Observer: recorded by a Forest Department birdwatcher.
- Duration on site: remained in the sanctuary for nearly three days.
- State record history: previous Himachal Pradesh record — Sirmaur, 2013 (single record).
Species profile
- Scientific name: Sarkidiornis melanotos.
- Common names: knob-billed duck; comb duck; African comb duck.
- Family: Anatidae (ducks, geese and swans).
- Key identification: male bears a prominent leaf-shaped knob/comb on the bill.
- IUCN status: Least Concern.
Range, habitat & movement
- Typical Indian range: wetlands of Central India, notably Rajasthan and Gujarat.
- Preferred habitats: freshwater lakes, marshes and slow-flowing rivers.
- Movement drivers: experts cite food scarcity or search for breeding sites; climate-driven dispersal is considered a possible factor.
IASPOINT Booster Facts
- Rarity metric: two recorded occurrences in Himachal (2013, 2026) inform state-level rarity assessments.
- Monitoring relevance: vagrant records aid wetlands monitoring and avifaunal range-change studies.