Rare Smew Duck Spotted in Kaziranga as Waterbird Count Crosses 1.05 Lakh

GUWAHATI: The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve has demonstrated its global ecological significance through the publication of the 7th Kaziranga Waterbird Count 2026 which recorded 1,05,540 waterbirds from 107 species within the Kaziranga–Laokhowa–Burhachapori floodplain region.

The survey’s biggest highlight was the first-ever recorded sighting of the Smew (Mergellus albellus) in the Kaziranga region, a rare winter migrant whose appearance has generated excitement among ornithologists and conservationists.

The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kaziranga located in central Assam has maintained its conservation efforts for more than 119 years. The Tiger Reserve attracts global attention because it features a combination of land and water ecosystems which sustain the Big Five mammals and host more than 500 bird species. The area features two Important Bird Areas that have international recognition, namely Kaziranga National Park and Laokhowa–Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuaries, which serve as essential habitats for both migrating and native waterbird populations.

The Kaziranga management established the waterbird count program during 2018–19 as a scientific monitoring initiative, which has developed into one of India’s most extensive citizen science programs. Numaligarh Refinery Limited has funded the program through its corporate social responsibility initiatives for three years, which has enabled birdwatchers and research scientists and college students and photographers and forest staff and volunteers to participate at a large scale.

The 2026 survey conducted its operations in three phases between January 4 and January 11, covering 166 wetlands across 10 ranges which included the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division and the Biswanath Wildlife Division and the Nagaon Wildlife Division. More than 120 trained enumerators and over 50 volunteers and staff participated in the synchronised count following standardised scientific protocols. The results show that the Kaziranga floodplain serves as one of the most critical winter habitats for waterbirds in the Brahmaputra valley while functioning as a key migratory junction on the Central Asian Flyway that connects migrating routes from Siberia to Central Asia to Mongolia and northern China.

The survey recorded multiple ecological guilds which included grazing waterfowl dabbling ducks diving ducks waders marsh birds and piscivorous raptors demonstrating the structural complexity and habitat heterogeneity of the floodplain system. The wetland ecosystem maintains its health and functional diversity through the presence of over one lakh birds and 107 species, even though the 2025 monsoon period experienced lower flood intensity.

The Bar-headed Goose Northern Pintail and Lesser Whistling Duck emerged as the most common species, while the migratory geese population made up a large portion of the total count. The report documented several species which hold global conservation status, such as Critically Endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, and Near Threatened species, which demonstrate the international significance of the Kaziranga wetland system.

Rowmari Beel in Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary emerged as the largest congregation site with 15,661 birds, followed by Donduwa Beel with 14,469 individuals. Other wetlands such as Katakhal, Sohola and Khalihamari provided substantial habitats for bird populations. Rowmari recorded 77 species, while Donduwa, Sohola and the Kawoimari–Bhoisamari–Diffulo complex showed lower species richness, making these wetlands important biodiversity areas in the floodplain ecosystem.

The survey discovered the Smew which is a visually striking black-and-white diving duck that breeds in the Eurasian taiga while being a rare visitor to India during winter. The Kaziranga landscape first recorded the species at the Rowmari–Donduwa wetlands situated in Laokhowa and the core areas of the Tiger Reserve. The record from India holds significant value because Smew sightings occur in scattered and limited areas. Dr Nilutpal Mahanta described the Smew as a wetlands health indicator, because its presence signals climate-driven range shifts and the need for protection of vital migratory rest areas. Dr Smarajit Ojah explained that the sighting demonstrates Brahmaputra floodplain ecosystem resilience, which should lead to more protection measures for flyway corridors.

The 7th Kaziranga Waterbird Count Report 2026 was released on February 22 at JDSG College, Bokakhat. The report was prepared by Kaziranga Park officials together with the Assam Bird Monitoring Network which Dr Nilutpal Mahanta, Dr Smarajit Ojah and Dr Bishwajit Chakdar lead. The release ceremony was attended by Kaziranga Member of Parliament Kamakhya Tasa, IUCN SSC Chair Vivek Menon, CDC Bokakhat Shivani Jerngal, IAS, and several senior forest officials and conservation experts.

Assam Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary expressed happiness about the high record count and Smew sighting because the findings showed Assam’s wetlands to be crucial biodiversity areas which demonstrate successful conservation results in the state.

Kaziranga floodplain wetlands serve an essential function for birds by maintaining essential water sources, while they also regulate hydrology and buffer against floods and recharge groundwater and sustain water quality. The waterbird count program requires long-term monitoring in order to establish ecological patterns, which will help with habitat management and climate change and siltation and invasive species and human-related disturbances.

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