Wildlife experts have interpreted the sighting of a lowland bird like the peacock at a height of 6,500 feet in Uttarakhand as an unusual development caused by ecological changes in the Himalayan region due to increased human activity.
The bird was spotted twice in the forests of Bageshwar district in the state. It was first seen in the Kafligair forest range in April and then in Kathayatbara forests on October 5, a senior official said.
“It is surprising that the peacock which is usually found at an elevation of 1,600 feet has been sighted at an altitude of 6,500 feet. It is due to ecological changes that have started affecting wildlife migration,” Dhyan Singh Karayat, a forest official in Bageshwar forest division said on Monday.
Senior scientist of Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) Dr Suresh Kumar said though such sightings are not common they should not baffle wildlife experts.
The peacock falls into the generalist species of bird that is not so selective or choosy about its habitat. Though, traditionally a lowland bird, it has been found at higher than normal elevations in neighbouring Himachal Pradesh also, Kumar said.
One reason may be that even the hill regions are no longer as cold as they used to be and the peacock finds the climate in higher altitudes conducive enough for habitation, he said.
“Increased human activity like farming and expanding human settlements in the higher reaches of the mountains have led to warmer conditions at higher altitudes which may have led to this altitudinal migration of the peacock. But it may be a seasonal shift too, ” Kumar told PTI.
“With the onset of winter, it will get colder in the hills and the lowland bird may retreat to its original habitat conditions,” he said.
When asked whether it reflects a habitat-shifting tendency among peacocks in general, Kumar said it would be premature to draw a conclusion like that with just two sightings.
However, if such sightings become more frequent, it would definitely reflect a general tendency among peacocks to shift habitat, he said.