Redstart
Explanation
The avian biodiversity of India is distributed across distinct biogeographic zones. Ladakh, being a high-altitude cold desert in the Trans-Himalayan region, hosts specific bird species that are adapted to extreme cold and high elevation, many of which are migratory.
Analysis of Options:
- Great Indian Bustard Great Indian Bustard: Incorrect. This species is native to dry grasslands and scrublands, primarily found in Rajasthan and Gujarat. It is a critically endangered species associated with the arid semi-desert regions of the plains, not the high-altitude cold desert of Ladakh.
- Painted Stork Painted Stork: Incorrect. These are large wading birds found in the wetlands of the tropical plains of the Indian subcontinent. They are not typical residents or migrants of the high-altitude, arid landscape of Ladakh.
- Redstart: Correct. The Black Redstart (Phoenicurus ochruros) is a common summer migrant to Ladakh. It breeds in the high-altitude regions of the Himalayas and the Trans-Himalayas during the summer months and migrates to the lower plains of India during the winter.
- Hornbill: Incorrect. Hornbills are arboreal birds that require tall trees for nesting and feeding. They are characteristic of tropical and subtropical forests, such as those in the Western Ghats and Northeast India. They are absent in the treeless expanses of Ladakh.
Key Takeaway:
The Redstart is a migratory passerine bird that breeds in the high-altitude Trans-Himalayan region (Ladakh) during summer, unlike the Great Indian Bustard (arid grasslands) or Hornbills (tropical forests).