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Site description (2004 baseline):

This site is located in the West Manipur Hills and is known for its five lakes surrounded by tropical rainforest. Located 20 km away from the district headquarters, Tamenglong town, it is in the basin of the Barak river (Choudhury 2002) and has hilly terrain.

AVIFAUNA: Very little is known about the bird life, but there are reports of the White-winged Duck Cairina scutulata (Choudhury 2002) which is treated as Vulnerable by BirdLife International (2000). This site needs further surveys, as a complex of five montane lakes surrounded by tropical rain forest might be the haunt of many rare and endangered birds. The Near Threatened Great Pied Hornbill Buceros bicornis and Brown Hornbill Anorhinus tickelli are found in the area (A.U. Choudhury pers. comm. 2003). The only survey on birds was carried out by Choudhury (2003) during which most of the commoner species were recorded. Interestingly, one collared Kingfisher was also observed.

OTHER KEY FAUNA: The Hoolock Gibbon Hylobates hoolock, Assamese Macaque Macaca assamensis, Stump-tailed macaque M. arctoides, Capped Langur Trachypithecus pileata, Slow Loris Nycticebus coucang, Asiatic Black Bear Ursus thibetanus, occasional Tiger Panthera tigris, and turtles in the lakes, are noteworthy (A.U. Choudhury pers. comm. 2003).

MAIN THREATS: Felling of trees; Jhum cultivation; Poaching of birds.

Although notified as a wildlife sanctuary, enforcement is still inadequate. Felling of trees, jhum cultivation on the hill slopes and poaching of birds are the main issues.

Key contributors: Anwaruddin Choudhury, R. K. Ranjan Singh and Rankung.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Zeilad Lake Sanctuary (India). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/zeilad-lake-sanctuary-iba-india on 19/01/2025.