Gone in 40 years, the curious case of the Himalayan Quail: an attempt at rediscovery and implications for conservation

Abstract

Himalayan Quail (Ophrysia superciliosa) is a Galliforme species currently classified as Critically Endangered by the IUCN. Given the fact that the species has only been recorded over a period of 40 years in the 19th century, this classification needs more scrutiny. The aim of this study was to explore the possibility of detecting the species in their known historical distribution in the lower Himalayas, and understand if possible, the factors which led to their decline or extinction. The potential habitats in districts of Nainital and Dehradun of Uttrakhand (India), where the species which has been recorded between 1836 to 1876, have been scoured thoroughly insofar as logistics and other factors permitted using trail and point transects. We did not detect any sign of the species in any of the areas, thereby corroborating the results of past surveys/expeditions in search of this species. Domesticated/feral species (grazing pressure and hunting by dogs), natural predation by species such as Yellow-throated Marten (Martes flavigula), hunting by humans, population growth and resulting land-use change, biogeochemical events, and tourism may all have contributed in varying degrees to their decline or extinction. It was found that most, if not all, proposals of strategies to find the species have been thus far unemployed or futile. We suggest improving the chances of re-discovering this species using tools such as molecular/genetic analysis and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles. Management recommendations include stress on grazing laws, sterilization of dogs, awareness about unchecked human population growth and measures for limiting the effects of unsustainable tourism.