SWD seizes 12 black partridges

Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD) in a raid on Rohri Bypass seized 12 rare black partridges which were going to be smuggled from rural Sindh to Punjab. The value of these black partridges is around Rs800,000, SWD officials said.

SWD Deputy Conservator Adnan Hamid Khan, on a tip-off, carried out a raid on the Rohri Bypass, during which 12 black partridges being smuggled from Sindh to Punjab through a passenger bus were rescued.

According to Hamid Khan the bus driver did not have any transit pass or any other document, which is mandatory for the transfer of birds from one province to another. He said that no arrests were made during the operation as it was a cargo shipment which is being investigated.

He said that the black partridges were released in their natural habitat, Sufi Anwar Park.

Singing bird

Adnan Hamid Khan told The Express Tribune that Sindh's rare black partridge is more valuable as compared with its cousins in other provinces of Pakistan. It has been given the title of the Bird of Sindh due to its uniqueness. In the rural Sindh's districts, this bird is also named as Sindhi Pheasant.

People hold chirping competitions of black partridges across the country, including Sindh. This competition is arranged with different names in various parts of the country, like somewhere this competition is named as "Chakriyan" and in some areas "Boliyan".

During these competitions, partridges are suspended in a cage in a tree or at a high place in a special way, and its voice is recorded during the competition's stipulated time period.

The partridge that delivers different notes in succession within the stipulated time period is declared to be the winner. The price of a partridge is determined on the basis of different types of notes it chirps in a quick succession. The price tag normally ranges between Rs50,000 to Rs1.5 million.

According to the Deputy Conservator, these pheasants are normally found in district Khairpur, Ranipur and Sanghar of rural Sindh. This physically seemingly very small bird makes its presence felt from several kilometers away by making a whistle-like sound. While its physical attractiveness and beautiful colors also distinguish it from other birds.

Sindh Wildlife department has imposed a blanket-ban on its hunting and capturing. Despite of this ban, the poachers catch them whenever they find a chance, and earn money by selling them. Meanwhile, these hunters sometimes trade with each other. Most of them die due to lack of proper care in hunter's possession.

It should be noted that apart from its business on a large scale, some enthusiasts keep these black pheasant at their home in a special round cage.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 16^th, 2022.