It is a sight any bird enthusiast would consider themselves lucky to behold: A pair of ruddy shelducks, beckoning their young fledglings to follow them to the river. One adult leads the group, while the other follows. Both have flame-hued feathers and creamy white heads, though the male can be distinguished through a dark ring around its neck. The small, precocial chicks, covered in white and black mottled down, walk in the middle.
This journey occurs in the Mudh valley in Ladakh, from where the ducks go down to the Indus river. The entire journey takes three to six hours but is sometimes shorter if the fledglings are grown adequately and are able to walk easily. However, it is extremely challenging to witness—just as Cha Tsogspa prefers. For two decades, this group comprising 12 residents from Mudh village, 2 km from the valley, has been keeping an eye on the ruddy shelducks that come to Ladakh, their only breeding site in India, from June to August every year. “It is on auspicious days that we escort the fledglings from the valley to the Indus river. From there, they cross the river on their own,” explains Thinless Namgyal, vice president of Cha Tsogspa.
Also known as the Brahminy duck or Tadorna ferruginea in scientific lexicon, the ruddy shelduck is found across Europe and Central Asia, migrating to South Asia during the winter months. In the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, the species is classified under “Least Concern”. Cha Tsogspa aims to ensure that this status does not change.
The origins of this effort trace back to 2003, when the Dalai Lama visited Ladakh. On his way from Nyoma to Hanle, he met the residents of Mudh village and drew their attention to the ruddy shelduck. “His Holiness told us that the bird, which earlier used to be seen near the Potala Palace, is now found in Mudh valley. He asked us if we would take responsibility for protecting it,” says Namgyal. Potala Palace is the former winter residence of the Dalai Lama in Lhasa, Tibet, which is now a museum complex.
This incident spurred an immediate zeal among the residents to act, and Cha Tsogspa, which simply means “bird association”, was formed.
Members of the group explain that the challenges in protecting the species become apparent fairly quickly. “The birds require assistance for about two months, after which the parent birds are able to take care of the fledglings on their own. Initially while trying to monitor them, we faced objections from the wildlife department. However, once we informed them that this conservation effort aligned with the wishes of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the objections were withdrawn,” says 63-year-old Nawang Chosdup, a member of the group.
A bigger challenge is protecting the birds from stray dogs…
This article was originally published in the March 1-15, 2026 print edition of Down To Earth