Bihar: Female Greylag Goose tagged with GPS-GSM transmitter to track migratory movements

Patna, Dec 6 (PTI) In a bid to track and study its migratory movements, the Bird Ringing and Monitoring Station (BRMS) in Bihar's Bhagalpur district has tagged a female Greylag Goose, which breeds across northern Europe, Central Asia and South Asia, with a solar-powered GPS-GSM transmitter.

GPS tracking will help map its migration route, timing, stopover patterns, and habitat use -- critical information for wetland conservation across Bihar, a senior officer said.

The tagged bird has been named 'Sonbarsa', after the village in Bhagalpur district where it was recently captured.

Officials said the name reflects the area's identity, with Sonbarsa signifying a fertile, gold-toned landscape shaped by riverine soils, symbolising abundance and harmony with nature.

"BRMS, Bhagalpur, a joint venture of the state government's Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), tagged a female Greylag Goose on Friday at the Ghatora wetland near Sonbarsa village with a solar-powered GPS-GSM transmitter to study its migratory movements.

"This is the first-ever GPS tagging of a bird in Bhagalpur district, marking a significant milestone in Bihar's migratory bird research," Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Prabhat Kumar Gupta, told PTI on Saturday.

Greylag Goose, which travels thousands of kilometres along the Central Asian Flyway, uses wetlands like Ghatora as stopover or wintering sites.

He said this tagging marks a major step toward advancing scientific understanding and safeguarding migratory birds that depend on the state's wetlands.

This effort follows the GPS-GSM tagging of two Bar-headed Geese in Jamui district in February this year, strengthening Bihar's contribution to waterbird monitoring under the Central Asian Flyway.

Earlier, BRMS, Bhagalpur had documented a juvenile Greater Flamingo in the Ganga near Sultanganj on December 8, 2024. It marked the first documented appearance of the species in the Bhagalpur district, the PCCF said.

"The Greater Flamingo is usually found in northwestern, central, and southern India, with very limited records from the east. The last confirmed sighting in Bihar dates back to 1991, making this observation after 26 years a significant event for the state's wildlife. The BRMS has been monitoring birds along the 63-km Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (VGDS) stretch since 2020," he said.

The strengthened conservation efforts, healthier riverine habitats, and consistent protection measures may have supported the arrival of this rare migratory species.

This important sighting highlights the ecological value of VGDS and reinforces the need for continued monitoring and conservation along the Ganga, Gupta added. PTI PKD ACD