Barn swallows in Manipur may have shed migratory trait
A study suggests that barn swallows in Manipur's Imphal Valley may have lost their migratory behavior and settled permanently in the region. The research indicates that these birds could represent a mixed population shaped by ancient interbreeding. This finding extends the known breeding range of barn swallows in the Indian subcontinent and highlights the need for further research in avian biogeography.
- ▪The study was conducted by Amarjeet Kaur and R. Suresh Kumar from the Wildlife Institute of India.
- ▪Researchers found thriving colonies of barn swallows in the Imphal Valley, with nests recorded in about 50 homes and buildings.
- ▪The study provides the first documentation of a resident breeding population of barn swallows in Manipur, challenging previous assumptions about their migratory behavior.
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GUWAHATIDescendants of migratory barn swallows may have gradually stopped making long journeys and settled permanently in Manipur’s Imphal Valley, a new study suggests.The finding, published in the Journal of Wildlife Science, also says that these fork-tailed birds may represent a mixed population shaped by ancient movements and interbreeding between their different groups over thousands of years.The authors of the study are Amarjeet Kaur and R. Suresh Kumar of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII). Their study is based on field surveys conducted in 2022 and 2023. In India, two subspecies of barn swallows are reported to breed in the Himalayas, while one is believed to winter in parts of the country’s northeastern region.
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