Bird Migration across the Himalayas: Wetland Functioning amidst Mountains and Glaciers

Description

Birds migrating across the Himalayan region fly over the highest peaks in the world, facing immense physiological and climatic challenges. The authors show the different strategies used by birds to cope with these challenges. Many wetland avian species are seen in the high-altitude lakes of the Himalayas and the adjoining Tibetan Plateau, such as Bar-Headed Geese. Ringing programmes have generated information about origins and destinations, and this book is the first to present information on the bird's exact migratory paths. Capitalising on knowledge generated through satellite telemetry, the authors describe the migratory routes of a multitude of birds flying over or skirting the Himalayas. The myriad of threats to migratory birds and the wetland system in the Central Asian Flyway are discussed, with ways to mitigate them. This volume will inform and persuade policy-makers and conservation practitioners to take appropriate measures for the long-term survival of this unique migration. Cover Half-title page Frontispiece Title page Copyright page Contents List of Contributors Foreword Preface Introduction Part I Migratory Routes and Movement Ecology 1 Goose Migration across the Himalayas: Migratory Routes and Movement Patterns of Bar-headed Geese 2 Himalayan Thoroughfare: Migratory Routes of Ducks over the Rooftop of the World 3 Migratory Routes across the Himalayas Used by Demoiselle Cranes 4 Passerine Migration across the Himalayas 5 Wader Migration across the Himalayas 6 Raptor Migration across and around the Himalayas 7 Steppe Eagle Migration from Mongolia to India 8 Peregrine Falcons Crossing the ‘Roof of the World’ Part II Physiography of the Highest Barrier on Earth 9 Geological Origin and Evolution of the Himalayas 10 Late Quaternary Glacier Fluctuations in the Himalayas and Adjacent Mountains Plates 11 The Influence of Hydrology and Glaciology on Wetlands in the Himalayas 12 The Himalayan Vegetation along Horizontal and Vertical Gradients 13 Assessing the Evidence for Changes in Vegetation Phenology in High-Altitude Wetlands of Ladakh (2002–2015) Part III High-Altitude Migration Strategies 14 The Wind System in the Himalayas: From a Bird’s-Eye View 15 Birds, Gliders and Uplift Systems over the Himalayas 16 Goose Migration over the Himalayas: Physiological Adaptations 17 Distance-Altitude Trade-Off May Explain Why Some Migratory Birds Fly over and not around the Himalayas 18 Refuelling Stations for Waterbirds: Macroinvertebrate Biomass in Relation to Altitude in the Trans-Himalayas 19 The Himalayas as an Ecological Barrier for Avian Migrants: High and Dry, but also Dangerous? 20 Bird Species Diversity on an Elevational Gradient between the Greater Himalaya and the Tibetan Plateau Part IV People and Their Effects on the Himalayas 21 Evidence of Human Presence in the Himalayan Mountains: New Insights from Petroglyphs 22 Pastoralism and Wetland Resources in Ladakh’s Changthang Plateau 23 Impacts of Tourism and Military Presence on Wetlands and Their Avifauna in the Himalayas 24 Birds in Relation to Farming and Livestock Grazing in the Indian Trans-Himalayas 25 Migratory Ducks and Protected Wetlands in India 26 A Network of Small, Dispersed Himalayan Wetlands Suitable for Designation under the Ramsar Convention Part V Conclusions 27 Bird Migration across the Himalayas and Beyond: The Need for Better Conservation and Management of a Natural Wonder Appendix: Selected Articles of the ‘Central Asian Flyway Action Plan’ Gazetteer Index