Haldwan, June 28 -- A pair of African migratory Knob-billed Ducks has been sighted for the first time in the Tarai forests adjoining the Corbett landscape on Thursday, prompting the Uttarakhand forest department to intensify monitoring for the conservation of the rare birds, forest officials said. According to Terai West Forest Division divisional forest officer (DFO) Prakash Chandra Arya, the birds were spotted by patrolling staff at a water body in the Hathidagar tourist zone during a routine patrol. The staff photographed the birds and sent the images to senior officials for identification and verification. "The birds were confirmed as African Knob-billed Ducks (Sarkidiornis melanotos), a species that has never before been recorded in the Terai West Forest Division. The bird is commonly known as the 'Nakta' in India, while in Africa it is called the 'Comb Duck' because of the prominent knob-like growth on the beak of adult males," Arya said on Saturday. He said the sighting was significant as it marked the first documented record of the species in the Terai West Forest Division. "Such observations reflect the ecological richness of the region and the availability of suitable wetland habitats," he said. The Knob-billed Duck is a summer resident species that prefers calm lakes, marshes, ponds and wetlands surrounded by dense vegetation. Forest officials said the presence of suitable water bodies and undisturbed forest habitat in the Tarai landscape appears to have attracted the birds. Following the sighting, the forest department has stepped up monitoring in the area to ensure the birds' safety. "Although the water body where they were sighted is located in a protected zone with minimal public movement, field staff have been instructed to maintain strict vigilance and prevent any disturbance or poaching," Arya said. He added that the arrival of the rare birds was an encouraging sign for the region's biodiversity and reflected the success of ongoing conservation efforts. "The protection of forests, wetlands and natural water bodies in the Tarai has created a healthy ecosystem that is attracting migratory birds from different parts of the world, including Asia, Siberia and Africa," he said....