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| Ward's Trogon Harpactes wardi
- Male |
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| Photographer : | © Sandeep Dhumal |
| Location : | Eaglenest WLS, Arunachal Pradesh, India |
| Date : |
21 March 2013 |
| English synonyms: | |
| Bird Family : | Trogonidae - Trogons |
| Bird Group : | TROGONIFORMES |
| Red Data Status : | Near Threatened |
| Remarks : | Ward’s Trogon is aptly titled “Phantom of the Forest” by some one, not just because it is rare, but more so for its charismatic charm and its elusive behaviour. Ward’s Trogon is one of Asia’s rarest Trogon and only confined to few pockets in the high altitude temperate forests of Arunachal Pradesh and Bhutan. No wonder birders all over the world spend days and weeks to just get even a glimpse of this fascinating bird. This species was high on my wish list when I planned to visit Eaglenest Wlidlife Sanctuary - Arunachal Pradesh in April, 2013 for 15 days but decided to focus only on 5 species, out of which I was able to bag 3 including the elusive “Phantom of the Forest”.
It was not easy to get anywhere close to this bird, I had to walk through leech and tick laden paths in stinging cold with the drizzle and fog making the condition even worse. After scouring several hours in search of this bird, it was indeed very hard to express the excitement and a sense of fulfillment to finally see the Trogon in “Full frame” on my Camera’s viewfinder. My soul trembled, my body and limbs were numb. The emotions that I felt at that moment are beyond imagination ...The fact that what I had witnessed in books and fantasised for years was finally materialising. My heartfelt thanks to Rohan Pandit and his generosity on lending me his Canon 1D Mark IV body.
It is however intriguing to know that this brilliantly coloured bird is so elusive and so cleverly camouflages itself even in the green, moss-laden trees, for, one of its many interesting behavior, is its habit of showing its back, probably to hide its flashy colours. I was extremely lucky to have got this profile shot, but feel much more blessed to have witnessed it “Up Close & Personal” - SD |
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