The Waterfowl species of Loktak Ramsar in Manipur (IBA)
- Purple Moorhen (Umu) -

By:- R.K. Birjit Singh *

Phubala Tourist Home is some 36 kilometers away from Imphal, the capital city of Manipur in the vicinity of Loktak Lake located at NS – 24.5350; EO – 93.765650 with an elevation of 775 meters above sea level (MSL) and it is the richest home of the Purple Moorhen (Porphyrio Porphyrio) locally known as Umu.

No other part of Loktak Lake has such a good number of Purple Moorhen as seen in Phubala although the number and population had been dwindled during the last two decades. During our childhood days local fisherman's used to catch and trap this water bird by using nets and a beam of lights to attract and dazzle the species during the night in many parts of the villages surrounding the lake such as Thinungei, Phubala, Naraseinya and Toubul. Most handsome catch was recorded at Thinungei and the roasted bird was sold at the local wine vendors of Moirang and Ningthoukhong.

Purple Moorhen P.Porphyrio
Photo: R.K. Birjit Singh

The uniqueness of the Purple Moorhen habitat at Phubala is the possibility of observing the bird species from a very close range with our necked eyes without using binoculars from the bank of the lake.

As many as 1388 number of Purple Moorhen was counted during the Waterfowl Census conducted from this spot alone by GENIM and MASS (2009) under the guidelines of Indian Bird Conservation Network (IBCN) and Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS). Prior to the census programme, I have invited Dr.R.K. Ranjan Singh, State Coordinator, IBCN and Dr.Kh. Shamungou Singh in view of the amazing habitat of the species.

The reason why this particular resident bird had chosen this site as their natural habitat is the prevention of poaching and entering of local people in the area by BSF personal stationed in the tourist home at that time and the availability of food spoilage and material of the camp to the birds as their feed.

Recently, I was invited with my beloved teacher Dr.Kh. Shamungou and K.Jugeshor Singh by the Forest Dept. Govt. of Manipur in collaboration with the Loktak Development Authority for making study and investigation on feeding, foraging and habitat relationship of critical species of the diverse waterfowl species of Loktak and its associated wetlands including assessment of species composition, population and distribution in relation with the lake environment for formulating strategies for conservational approach.

In this regard, when I visit back again at Phubala to get a first hand information for conducting the study, I found 80% of the population of the water bird dwindled as the BSF camp already vacated and no one is there to protect this beautiful bird and likely to succumb under the pressure of predation. A small and marginal habitats of the bird can be seen Birahari pat, Keibul Lamjao National Park, Nongmaikhong, Laphupat tera and other areas of the lake.

CLASSIFICATION
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Order: Gruiformes
Family: Rallidae
Genus: Porphyrio
Species: Porphyrio Porphyrio Linn

The Purple Swamphen or Purple Moorhen (Porphyrio porphyrio), also known as the Purple Gallinule or Purple Coot, is a large bird having size as that of a village hen belonging to the family Rallidae and order Gruiformes. It is a handsome but clumsy purplish blue rail bird with long red legs and toes.

The bald red forehead continued back from the short heavy red bill, and the white patch under the stumpy tail is leading clues. There are 13 or more subspecies of the Purple Moorhen which differ mainly in the plumage colors. The species is highly dispersive and has a very loud explosive call described as a "raucous high-pitched screech, with a subdued musical tuk-tuk". Despite being clumsy in flight it can fly long distances, and it is a good swimmer, especially for a bird without webbed feet.

The species is considered to be the ancestors of several island species including the extinct Lord Howe Swamphen and two species of Takahe in New Zealand.

Distribution of the bird:

The distribution and habitat of the bird is throughout the Indian plains, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Myanmar and Shri Lanka. In Manipur the species can be seen in many parts of the associated wetlands of Loktak and Tangjeng at Wangoo.

Food of the bird:

The food of the species consists of vegetable matters and shoots of the plants of swampy area and wetlands. Purple moorhen also eat insects and mollusks. They will often use one foot to bring food to their mouth rather than eat it on the ground.

They have been known to eat eggs, ducklings, small fish and invertebrates. Interestingly, in Phubala the left –away food matters like chapatti and many others of the BSF camp thrown near the water body of the lake was blithely enjoyed by these birds. The species can become tame if not persecuted and can be readily seen in any part of Loktak and even in villages. A good example was given during their stay in Phubala tourist home by the BSF personals.

Call:

A diverse variety of loud hooting, cackling with a subdued musical note "tuk-tuk" can be heard near the habitat. They are very noisy, particularly during the breading season. The male species has ludicrous courtship display, holding water weeds in the bill and bowing to female with loud chuckles.

Breeding and Nesting season:

The nesting and breading season of the bird is during the monsoon period extending up to three or four months (June to September) in Loktak. Pairs nest in a large pad of interwoven floating biomass (Phumdi) and reed flags and floating debris or amongst matted reeds slightly above water level in swamps, clumps of rushes in paddocks or long unkempt grass.

Multiple females may lay in one nest and share the incubation duties. A single female can lay 3-7 eggs at a time with pale yellowish stone to reddish buff, blotched and spotted with reddish brown colour.

Global status of conservation and local concerns:

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has given the status of Least Concern of the species but the trend of declination of the species continues in an unprecedented way as never before globally. The depletion of the population of this water bird is more alarming in Loktak than in any other parts of the Indian sub-continent.

The major threat to these species in Loktak Ramsar is indiscriminate poaching by the local fisherman's and changing ecology of the wetland through anthropogenic activities. If this trend and activities of indiscriminate poaching and hunting of these wild birds and disturbing its habitat continues uncheck, then the day will not be too far for us to meet "The Last Species of Purple Moorhen in Loktak" following the steps of Pink-headed Duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllaceae).

This article earnestly would like to draw the attention of the Department of Forest and Wild Life and Tourism, Govt. of Manipur in view of the potential of the area for developing an eco-tourism zone in order to conserve this beautiful water bird and attract tourist and researchers for future well being of Loktak Ramsar.