White-bellied Herons: They Matter To Us – Because They Help Us Matter To The World

Yesterday the Kuensel reported on yet another of our mounting failures - Bhutan’s dwindling population of the critically endangered White-bellied Herons (WBH). For the past many years forestry scientist Dr. Phuntsho Namgyel has been wailing cries of despair - calling our attention to the looming disaster to our forest stand - through overstocking with unproductive trees - caused by the uneducated belief that harvesting of trees is bad for environment. Three written submissions later, pleading not to do so, the government has been unfailing in its systematic destruction of the bird habitat in Sengore, Yongkola and Lemithang in Eastern Bhutan - a stretch of bird habit that the global birdwatching community has dubbed - “The Birding Capital of The World”. But this is a subject for another day.

An adult White-bellied Heron photographed in Rurichhu, Wangdue - at the cusp of extinction

Coming back to the issue of WBH, quite mistakenly the destruction of the heron habitat is blamed as the sole reason for the progressive decline in the number of herons, despite the discovery of new and old nests with eggs in them. This is only half the truth. The other reason for the decline in heron population should be attributed to the destruction of habitats of other predators within, and in the periphery of, the heron habitat. It means that due to the disappearance of their traditional prey, these predators may be now preying on the herons and their chicks.

A few weeks old WBH chic practicing flight. Many chicks are hatched year after year - but numbers are still dwindling.

But we the Bhutanese people - who outclass the whole world in verbosity, cause the worst destruction. During a White-bellied Heron conservation workshop held in Punakha in December of 2015, which I attended, Bhutan recorded the highest number of the birds at 28, out of the confirmed 60 individuals recorded globally. And today we are admitting that that number has dropped to 23. We need to transcend the hot air – we need to deliver what we promise.

The White-bellied Heron rage countries: Bhutan, India, China, Mynmar

Many years back, Samdingkha in Punakha Phochu area - world’s richest heron habitat then - was being overrun by dozens of trucks and excavators - for collection of sand and boulder from the riverbanks. Some of us launched a drive to prevent such activity in the area. The government listened - and a Cabinet Order was issued banning surface collection of sand and boulder from the areas - sometime in 2004-2005. Sadly, true to form, the Forestry Department failed to carry out effective monitoring and the order remained on paper - with poor or no implementation on the ground. Today, the destruction of that particular habitat is so complete that according to the Kuensel no heron sightings have been reported in the areas since 2018. But Hishey Tshering, perhaps Bhutan’s earliest birding enthusiast says that he saw the birds in the area during a birding trip on 14th November, 2019, but not since.

Global population of White-bellied Herons as of 2015. Bhutan ranked at the top - at 28 individuals.

Environmental conservation should not - must not, be a stumbling block to human progress - when this happens, environment will be at the receiving end. Thus as much as I am against the way the hydropower projects are done in Bhutan, I played subservient to the tyranny of the majority - and the majority view is that hydropower is beneficial. Knowing that we will not be able to halt the hydropower projects in Punatsangchhu River Basin that will ultimately result in the extinction of the WBH species, I proposed that we declare Bertey in Zhemgang as a heron sanctuary - in an attempt to give the herons a standing chance at survival – away from the vortex of destruction. I chose this place because, firstly, during those days there was a resident population of 6 White-belied Herons. Secondly, there is no vehicle road access beyond Berti village - thus no human activity happens there. Thirdly the adjoining village of Chaabang had been abandoned, and thus, there is no agricultural activity of any kind happening there. In other words, the areas remain secluded from human activity.

Today the global community recognizes and accepts Bhutan as the most important WBH habitat. Even at 23, Bhutan still accounts for the highest recorded number of White-bellied Heron population in the world. A country that is credited as being at the forefront of environmental conservation needs to do better - than being caught doling out annual statistical figures that report of diminishing numbers of a critically endangered bird.

The burden of responsibility is on us - to ensure that the bird is not allowed to go extinct. There is no justification for such a monumental irresponsibility. We need to move away from being the habitual paper tiger. We need to put money where our mouth is.

We need to act without delay - to arrest further decline in the numbers of the WBH. They matter to us - because they help us matter to the world.