The video of the rare and critically endangered white-bellied heron posted by Kamlang Tiger Reserve on their Twitter has gone viral. The reserve is located in Lohit district of Arunachal Pradesh.
The heron can be seen perched on a rock in the midst of a water body and after sometime it flies away.
The video:
White bellied Heron (Ardea insignis) sighted during the AITE 2021-22.
Prefers undisturbed habitats. IUCN has categorized it under CRITICALLY ENDANGERED species list,with an estimated 250 individuals in the world.@ntca_india @ArunForests @MyGovArunachal @ParveenKaswan pic.twitter.com/pc2IFV0D65— Kamlang Tiger Reserve (@KamlangTiger) February 12, 2022
This bird is mainly dark greyish and has white belly, vent and throat, white-streaked scapulars, fore neck and upper breast. The male and female have two lace-like white plumes on the back of their neck.
The scientific name of this heron is Ardea insignis and it is found in Bhutan, Northeast India, hills of Bangladesh, north Myanmar and west, central Myanmar.
It was spotted recently in Assam and Namdapaha in Arunachal Pradesh, a few sites in Bhutan, and parts of Myanmar.
Categorised as critically endangered IUCN its population is rapidly declining due to the loss and degradation of lowland forests and wetlands.
