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(THE GIST OF PIB) Greater Scaup

(January-2023)

A rare species of duck, Greater Scaup, was recently sighted in Loktak lake in Manipur’s Bishnupur district after a gap of over 90 years.

The Greater scaup is locally known as Sadangman.
It is a medium-sized diving duck species that belongs to the family of Anatidae.
The greater scaup species is distributed in Asia, Europe, the United States and Canada. It is a rare visitor to the Indian Subcontinent.
The breeding scaup inhabits shallow, freshwater lakes, pools and rivers with grassy shorelines.
The greater scaup species are highly migratory, breeding near arctic regions and migrating to the warmer south from August onwards.
Conservation status: IUCN Red List: Least concern

Loktak Lake is a freshwater lake in the Manipur state.
It is famous for unique floating islands called Phumdis with multiple plant species.
The Keibul Lamjao National Park located on the Loktak Lake is the last natural habitat of the “Sangai” the dancing deer of Manipur.
The lake is designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.