TRIP REPORT  : JATINGA -30TH SEPTEMBER 1986-1ST OCTOBER 1986
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 By  Govind Kumar , P.O Box 88, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
 Email : gkumar99@emirates.net.ae
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This is a brief report of a visit to Jatinga , a beautiful valley  
in the North Cachar Hills District of Assam in 1986.  
The valley derives its name from  a small village inhabited by a 
Jemi Naga tribe, about seven kilometres from Haflong,the district capital. 
Accessible by road or rail from either Lumding or Silchar, the village sits 
atop a ridge 742m high and 1.5 kilometres long.The well forested valley is 
justly famous for its orange orchards, pineapple plantations and fruit trees.

Jatinga village is also the  site where  birds drop to lights put up by 
villagers all along the ridge.
The Nagas first noticed the phenomenon in 1905. The following conditions 
appear to be essential :
(a) Dense Fog
(b) Light Rain
(c) Southerly winds at speeds 5 to 10 kilometres per hour
(d) Lights placed at vantage points along the ridge.
          The birds drop only in September and October under favourable weather 
conditions, rarely in August.
The temperature at this time of year ranges from 9 degrees C to 28 degrees C and 
the humidity from 80 to 95 % With high winds, the birds drop lower down; otherwise 
they go higher up.
          Bringing down  birds appeared to be a 'sport' with the villagers. Special 
poles made of bamboo with tapering ends were used to bring down the birds . While 
most birds went straight into the pot, new species were taken to the ZSI scientist 
studying the phenomenon to be  identified. A couple of villagers, employees of the 
Assam Forest Department, had been trained in field identification and were equipped 
with field guides .
A ZSI survey had recorded 122 species in the valley in 1983, using mist netting. 
Of these, 58 had dropped to the lights. 
          When I sat up on the ridge between 8 PM on 30th September and 2 AM on 
1st October, the temperature was 22 degrees C with light rain, thick fog and  fairly 
strong southerly  winds and generally ideal conditions.

Hundreds of birds of the following species dropped or were brought down in this period:

 1.    Red-legged Crake    ( Rallina fasciata )
 2.    Slaty-breasted Rail ( Gallirallus striatus )
 3.    White-breasted Waterhen  (Amaurornis phoenicurus)
 4.    Indian Pond Heron  ( Ardeola grayii)
 5.    Chinese Pond Heron ( Ardeola bacchus )
 6.    Hooded Pitta   ( Pitta sordida)
 7.    Watercock     ( Gallicrex cinerea )  Female
 8.    Thick-billed Green Pigeon ( Treron curvirostra)
 9.    Pompadour Green Pigeon ( Treron pompadora)
10.    Cinnamon Bittern  ( Ixobrychus cinnamomeus)
11.    Woodcock   ( Scolopax rusticola)
12.    Indian Cuckoo  ( Cuculus micropterus)
13.    Cattle Egret  ( Bubulcus ibis)
14.    Koel    (Eudynamys scolopacea)
15.    Ruddy Kingfisher  ( Halcyon coromanda)
16.    Oriental Dwarf Kingfisher ( Ceyx erithacus)

             I had the privilege of examining many of the smaller species in the hand. 
Hooded Pitta was abundant and accounted for almost 60% of the birds that dropped. The 
atmosphere was eerie with the silence of the night being broken only by the swish of 
bamboo poles cutting through the air and the calls of disoriented birds flying about. 
The villagers seemed adept at identification and could recognise species like O
riental Dwarf Kingfisher, Hooded Pitta and Pond Heron from  calls . Some  of the birds 
bled profusely from wounds sustained while others appeared dazed. 
            The Assam Forest Department had put up two watch towers (one on the ridge 
and another lower down) to enable visitors observe the phenomenon at close hand. There 
was also a small library with books on birds and some charts prepared by the Forest 
Department detailing bird drops.
The Forest Department was also studying the 'post drop' behaviour of some species in captivity.

   Species seen from the lower watch tower on  1st October, in the morning :

 1 Ruddy Kingfisher-Common; A large communal roost by a stream at the bottom of the valley
 2 Lesser Rufous-headed Parrotbill-Common but not easy to see as the birds kept to thick 
   bamboo clumps, uttering wheezy contact calls.
 3 Large Cuckoo-Shrike -   Small groups of 5 or 6 birds
 4 Oriental Hobby -  Solo 
 5 Mountain Imperial Pigeon - Several in flight
 6 Hill Myna - Large flocks in flight
 7 Blue-tailed Bee-eater - Large flock of 100-150 in flight , buffeted by  strong winds . Passage ?
 8 Brown-backed Needletail-Flocks overhead in overcast conditions
 9 Grey-backed Shrike- Common
10 Red-throated Flycatcher - Solitary male
11 Eurasian Blackbird - A few pairs on tall trees near the watch tower
12 Spangled Drongo - 4 in bird wave .
13 Red-rumped Swallow
14 Barn Swallow
15 Koel                      
16 Magpie-Robin
17 Red-vented Bulbul
18 Spotted Dove
19 Common Myna
20 White Wagtail                      
 
This is an old report and detailed coverage of this site (and more current information) may be 
found in the new Birdwatchers Guide to India by Kazmierczak and Singh.