Data Zone
Country/territory: India
IBA criteria met: A1 (2004)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 565 hectares (5.65 km2)
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2014 | moderate | very high | medium |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2004 baseline)
Udhuwa or Udhwa Lake is situated 11 kms southeast of Rajmahal in the Sahebganj district of Jharkhand state. This Bird Sanctuary is constituted by two waterbodies, namely Pataura (155 ha) and Berhale (410 ha). Pataura is a comparatively clean waterbody and the average depth is about 2 m whereas Berhale is a shallow one having average depth of about 70 cm. Berhale is largely choked with aquatic vegetation, with small pockets of clear water. Both these waterbodies are inter-connected by a water channel and the whole bird Sanctuary is connected with River Ganga at Farraka by Udhuwa Nala which is a 25 km stretch. Pataura is surrounded by hillocks on one side, and on the other side, the Forest Department has done some plantations (on the hillocks).
Key biodiversity
AVIFAUNA: Not much work has been done on this Sanctuary, but Choudhary et al. (1992) have identified 83 species of birds, including many forest species. The list includes such rarities as Nordmann’s Greenshank or Spotted Greenshank Tringa guttifer but this needs confirmation. A. Mishra (pers. comm. 2001) has sighted the Near Threatened Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus. At present, it does not qualify in A4iii criteria but once it is properly protected, Udhuwa has great potential to become an important waterfowl refuge (A. Mishra pers. comm. 2001).
OTHER KEY FAUNA: There are not many large mammals of conservation concern. The lake has about 22 fish species, most of them of commercial value (Choudhary et al. 1992).
Acknowledgements
Key contributor: Arvind Mishra.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Udhuwa Lake Bird Sanctuary (India). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/udhuwa-lake-bird-sanctuary-iba-india on 26/12/2024.