Assam's Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary in Nagaon district has recorded its first-ever sighting of the Smew (Mergellus albellus), a rare migratory diving duck, forest officials confirmed this week. The sighting, made during the 7th Kaziranga Waterbird Count, coincides with a broader push by sanctuary staff to tighten protection of Laokhowa's wetlands, including a recent anti-fishing enforcement drive and a habitat restoration project planting thousands of native saplings.
Background
Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary, located along the southern bank of the Brahmaputra in Nagaon district, is part of a cluster of protected wetland and grassland habitats — alongside the larger Kaziranga National Park — that anchor central Assam's floodplain ecosystem. The sanctuary's beels (oxbow wetlands), including Rowmari, Dondowa and Muamari, serve as key wintering grounds for migratory waterbirds arriving from Central Asia and Siberia each year, as well as habitat for resident and endangered species such as the Bengal Florican.
The Smew sighting was made as part of the 7th Kaziranga Waterbird Count 2026, a synchronised survey conducted across 166 wetlands spanning the Eastern Assam, Biswanath, and Nagaon Wildlife Divisions, involving more than 120 enumerators and 50 volunteers and staff. The count recorded 105,540 individual waterbirds across 107 species overall, with Rowmari Beel inside Laokhowa alone contributing 15,661 birds — the single highest count of any wetland surveyed — and neighbouring Donduwa Beel adding a further 14,469.
Key Details
- The Smew, a small diving duck that typically breeds in the Siberian taiga and winters in parts of Europe and Asia, had never previously been recorded at Laokhowa, making this a first for the sanctuary
- The sighting came alongside a recorded appearance of the Bengal Florican, one of the world's most threatened bustard species, reinforcing Laokhowa's significance as a refuge for globally rare birds
- Ornithologists, including Dr. Nilutpal Mahanta, described the Smew's appearance as a "vagrant" occurrence — a bird turning up well outside its usual wintering range — and suggested it could signal climate-driven shifts in migratory patterns linked to warmer winters in the species' traditional wintering grounds
- The wider Kaziranga Waterbird Count found the top three most abundant species to be the Bar-headed Goose, Northern Pintail, and Lesser Whistling Duck, with the survey flagging 1 critically endangered, 1 endangered, 2 vulnerable, and 14 near-threatened species under IUCN watchlists across the surveyed wetlands
- Separately, forest teams have intensified an anti-fishing enforcement drive inside sanctuary waters, resulting in at least one arrest of an individual engaged in illegal fishing, with patrolling stepped up through surprise checks and new monitoring points in vulnerable stretches
- Following an earlier anti-encroachment drive in the Singimari Sub-Beat area in June 2026, forest staff have planted more than 2,500 native saplings across 1.5 hectares to restore degraded habitat and secure core wildlife zones
At a Glance
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Total waterbirds counted (Kaziranga region, 2026) | 105,540 across 107 species |
| Rowmari Beel (Laokhowa) count | 15,661 birds — highest of any wetland surveyed |
| Donduwa Beel count | 14,469 birds |
| Wetlands surveyed statewide | 166, across 10 forest ranges |
| Survey personnel | 120+ enumerators, 50 volunteers/staff |
| Threatened species flagged | 1 critically endangered, 1 endangered, 2 vulnerable, 14 near-threatened |
| Habitat restoration (Singimari) | 2,500+ native saplings across 1.5 hectares |
Local Impact
For Nagaon district and the wider Kaziranga-Laokhowa landscape, the Smew sighting is a marker of ecological health as much as an ornithological curiosity: a wetland capable of attracting a species never recorded there before signals improving water quality, food availability, and reduced disturbance. That matters directly for the sanctuary's bird-tourism potential, an emerging revenue stream for the region as birdwatchers increasingly travel to Assam specifically to see rare and vagrant species during the winter migratory season.
The parallel enforcement action against illegal fishing is significant for local livelihoods debates as well — sanctuary waters are often contested spaces where subsistence fishing communities and conservation mandates can come into tension. The forest department's approach of combining enforcement (arrests, patrolling, monitoring points) with habitat restoration (sapling plantation on encroached land) reflects an attempt to balance protection with the reality that communities around Laokhowa depend on its wetlands for their own livelihoods.
What Happens Next
Forest officials are expected to continue monitoring Rowmari, Dondowa, and Muamari beels through the remainder of the migratory season to see whether the Smew returns or whether further vagrant species are recorded, feeding into next year's Kaziranga Waterbird Count. The anti-fishing enforcement drive is expected to continue with intensified patrolling and surprise checks, particularly around vulnerable stretches identified during recent operations, with the forest department indicating legal action will follow for repeat offenders. The Singimari habitat restoration project is likely to be expanded to additional encroached patches if the current sapling plantation shows successful survival rates, as part of a longer-term push to secure core wildlife habitat across the sanctuary.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Smew and why is its sighting significant?
The Smew (Mergellus albellus) is a small migratory diving duck that breeds in Siberia and typically winters in parts of Europe and Asia. Its appearance at Laokhowa is the sanctuary's first-ever recorded sighting of the species, making it ornithologically significant.
Where is Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary?
Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Nagaon district, Assam, along the southern bank of the Brahmaputra, near the larger Kaziranga landscape.
What was the Kaziranga Waterbird Count 2026?
It was the 7th edition of a synchronised waterbird survey covering 166 wetlands across the Eastern Assam, Biswanath, and Nagaon Wildlife Divisions, which recorded 105,540 birds across 107 species, including the first Smew sighting at Laokhowa.
What other rare species were recorded alongside the Smew?
The Bengal Florican, one of the world's most threatened bustard species, was also recorded at Laokhowa during the same survey period.
Why might the Smew have appeared at Laokhowa for the first time?
Ornithologists have suggested the sighting could reflect climate-driven shifts in migratory patterns, with warmer winters in the species' traditional wintering grounds potentially pushing it into new territory.
What enforcement action is being taken to protect the sanctuary?
Forest staff have intensified an anti-fishing drive inside sanctuary waters, making at least one arrest, alongside increased patrolling, surprise checks, and new monitoring points in vulnerable areas.
What habitat restoration work has been done recently?
Following an anti-encroachment drive in the Singimari Sub-Beat area in June 2026, forest teams planted over 2,500 native saplings across 1.5 hectares to restore habitat.
How many threatened species were flagged in the overall survey?
The Kaziranga Waterbird Count 2026 flagged 1 critically endangered, 1 endangered, 2 vulnerable, and 14 near-threatened species under IUCN watchlists across all surveyed wetlands.
Sources
- The Assam Tribune
- The Sentinel (Assam)
- The Tribune
- ANI
- Northeast Today