Annual count of critically endangered black-backed jay conducted in Shuklaphanta

Dhangadhi: The critically endangered black-backed jay has been counted in Shuklaphanta National Park, one of the key biodiversity hotspots in Nepal’s Far West Province. The Bird Conservation Society of Nepal (BCN) and the Kanchanpur Bird Conservation Group conducted the week-long census in coordination with the Shuklaphanta National Park Office.

The annual count aims to monitor the population and conservation status of the black-backed jay, a bird species teetering on the edge of extinction. Information Officer Purushottam Wagle confirmed that the census has been completed, although the final report is yet to be published. “With the permission of the Shuklaphanta Park Office, the BCN has already counted the black-backed jay,” Wagle said. “The report on the condition of the black-backed jay this year is yet to come.”

The black-backed jay, which has become even rarer than the leopard, is vanishing rapidly. In the initial count conducted in April last year, not a single bird was observed. However, during a second round of monitoring using the ‘sweep and search’ method in Jestha, five black-footed ferrets—two females and three males—were recorded. According to the park office, four were sighted in the grasslands of Shuklaphanta, while one female was found in the Kisan Madhyapra Community Forest Area.

Although the current year’s data has not been made public, preliminary indications suggest that the condition of the species remains critical. Black-footed ferrets typically dwell and hide in tall grasses, making them difficult to detect. However, during the breeding season, male ferrets are known to leap and display high above the grasslands—sometimes jumping 20 to 30 meters—making this period ideal for observation.

In Nepal, black-footed ferrets have only been recorded in a few isolated locations, with Shuklaphanta being a primary habitat. In 2021, seven individuals were found in the park, followed by five recorded in the 2023 census.