07-08-2025
Long Billed Bush Warbler sighted in Ladakh's Suru Valley: Govt to Rajya Sabha
The elusive Long Billed Bush Warbler has been reported in Union Territory of Ladakh's Sankoo Suru Valley, union environment minister informed Rajya Sabha on Thursday. The last confirmed Indian sighting was in 1979. (Harish Thangaraj)
'As informed by the Union Territory Administration of Ladakh, the Long Billed Bush Warbler has been reported in Sankoo Suru Valley. The Long Billed Bush Warbler is a species, primarily dependent on undisturbed grasslands and scrub habitats and its sighting reflects the ecological integrity of such habitats. Long Billed Bush Warbler (Locustella major) is listed in Schedule II of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, providing them protection under the Act,' Kirti Vardhan Singh, minister of state (MoS) said.
HT reported on July 20 that a team of five birders has recorded the first confirmed Indian sighting of the elusive Long-billed Bush Warbler in 46 years, spotting the Near Threatened species in Ladakh's Suru Valley as part of a mission to find the country's 'long lost birds'.
He was responding to questions by BJP MP, Ashokrao Shankarrao Chavan on two questions namely, if the long-billed bush warblerc (Locustella major), a rare and elusive bird species seen recently by a team of rare bird researchers after a gap of 46 years in Ladakhs's Suru Valley as part of a mission to find county's 'long lost birds', if so, details thereof and secondly, if the ecological significance of sighting of long-billed bush warbler in the context of biodiversity conservation and habitat assessment in country among others.
In reply, the MoS said that the important measures taken for conservation of birds including Long Billed Bush Warbler include, Protected Areas, viz., National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves covering important wildlife habitats have been created all over the country under the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972; Wetlands (Conservation and Management) rules, 2017, for better protection of wetlands in the country; financial assistance is provided to the State Governments and Union Territory Administrations for conservation and management of wildlife and development of its habitats under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of 'Development of Wildlife Habitats'; a specific component of 'Recovery programmes for saving critically endangered species and habitats' is included in the ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of 'Development of Wildlife Habitats' for focused conservation action on identified 24 critically endangered species including Bustards, Edible nest Swiftlets, Nicobar Megapode, Jerdon's Courser and Vultures among others.
'Rediscovering the Long-billed Bush Warbler in Ladakh wasn't a stroke of luck—it was the result of strategic planning, deep research, and field persistence by a committed team. The bird was found in remote willow thickets of Suru Valley at over 3,200 metres—harsh terrain that likely kept it hidden for decades. This sighting not only rewrites the species' known range but also reminds us how much of India's high-altitude biodiversity remains unexplored and in urgent need of protection,' said Nikhil Devasar, Delhi based birder and organiser of the Big Bird Day.
