Horned Lark Spotted in Kinnaur for First Time, Boosting Rakchham Chitkul Sanctuary’s Biodiversity Significance
SHIMLA/Reckong Peo: It is great news for bird watchers and lovers and conservationists. The ecologists have sighted this rare song bird indicating that the sweet chirps of birds are still alive and kicking in the high attitude Himalayan region.
In a major boost to Himachal Pradesh’s high-altitude biodiversity records, the elusive Horned Lark has been sighted and photographically documented for the first time from Rakchham Chitkul Wildlife Sanctuary as well as the entire Kinnaur district, marking a historic addition to the region’s avifaunal records.
The rare sighting was made during a biodiversity exploration led by Santosh Thakur, with Lt Col (Dr) A. Karthik and Dr. MVLS Praveena documenting the species in the rugged high-altitude terrain of Chitkul.
Miss Alpna was also part of the survey and actively assisted in field documentation efforts.
What makes the discovery significant is that this is the first formally documented and photographically verified record of the Horned Lark from Kinnaur district.
It is ground-dwelling songbird known for the tiny black feather tufts or “horns” on its head, which give the species its name.
The bird is specially adapted to open cold landscapes and survives in alpine grasslands, barren mountain slopes and sparsely vegetated high-altitude habitats where few bird species can thrive.
Ecologically, the Horned Lark plays an important role in maintaining the balance of fragile mountain ecosystems by feeding on insects, larvae and seeds
Following the sighting, Santosh Thakur consulted bird experts and field researchers, including Bhupinder Rana, Dr. Narsimha, Dr. Abhinav, Akshay, Mahesh Negi and Ankush Thakur, to verify whether any previous record of the species existed from the area.
After extensive discussions and review, it was confirmed that no earlier documented record of the Horned Lark exists from either Rakchham Chitkul Wildlife Sanctuary or Kinnaur district.
According to Santosh Thakur, Block Forest Officer Rakchham, the sighting is not only important for the sanctuary but also strengthens the bird records of Himachal Pradesh’s fragile high-altitude ecosystems.
He, however, noted that the species has earlier been reported from the Lahaul-Spiti region.
Calling the discovery extremely important, Lt Col (Dr) A. Karthik said that Rakchham Chitkul Wildlife Sanctuary remains one of the richest yet least explored biodiversity pockets in the western Himalayas.
He stressed that several remote areas of Kinnaur are still scientifically underexplored and may hold many more undocumented species and ecological surprises.
“This discovery clearly shows how little we still know about the biodiversity of these remote Himalayan landscapes,” he observed, advocating for more systematic surveys and long-term ecological monitoring in the region.
Ashok Negi, IFS, DCF Wildlife Sarahan, described the sighting as “another feather in Kinnaur’s cap,” noting that more than 170 bird species have now been recorded from the district.
He said the region serves as a critical habitat for endemic birds, migratory species and several high-altitude breeding birds.
He added that such globally relevant wildlife records can also strengthen eco-tourism potential in Kinnaur while generating livelihood opportunities for local communities and building conservation awareness.
Adding scientific perspective to the discovery, Dr. Malyasri Bhattacharya said that Horned Larks are known to prefer open landscapes such as alpine grasslands, sparsely vegetated meadows, dry open terrain and agricultural fields.
She explained that the Chitkul landscape, with its vast meadows and high-altitude open habitats interspersed with forest patches, provides ideal ecological conditions for the species.
She further pointed out that while Horned Larks may have been occasionally observed in similar Himalayan elevations earlier, many such sightings were never formally documented or uploaded on citizen science platforms like eBird.
The landmark discovery once again underlines the ecological importance of Rakchham Chitkul Wildlife Sanctuary and highlights the urgent need for continued biodiversity documentation and conservation efforts in the ecologically sensitive high-altitude landscapes of Kinnaur.
