Few days after first group of Black-necked crane (BNC) was reported to have landed in Phobjikha in Wangduephodrang and Bumdeling in Trashiyangtse, a lone BNC was reported to have been spotted at Chebisa. Located along snowman trek, at an altitude of close to 4000 metre above sea level, Chebisa is one of the few highland community settlements of Lingzhi under Thimphu Dzongkhag.
Although, Black-necked crane do fly down in winter to Bhutan from their summer roosting in the north, they have been known to land popularly in Phobjikha, Khotokha, Bumdeling and Bumthang. This is supposedly the first record of BNC in highland area of Lingzhi, in Bhutan’s high altitude area, that too in winter.
In the past, however, there were several reports of BNC landing in unusual places and altitudes never reported before. Recently BNC has been reported to be spending their whole summer season in Haa. In 2010, a family of consisting of two adults and two juvenile unexpectedly landed in Gelephu. Similarly, there were incidences of BNC being spotted in other places besides their popular ones.
Therefore, one spotted in Chebisa, Lingzhi is suspected to be one such stray cases. Conservationists and bird experts are earlier quoted saying that such cases occur when the birds loose their natural navigational instinct. Birds are believed to use their sort of ‘natural compass’ which provides them the bearing for their migratory route. When it malfunctions due to several factors, takes them to places, not of their usual migratory destinations.
Or else, call it effects of climate change!
