Anglers call it the “Tiger of the Indian Rivers.” Despite the name, it has fins, not wings.
🏛️ Must Know
Golden Mahseer: A Fish, Not a Bird
- A Large Himalayan Fish The Golden Mahseer (Tor putitora) is a large freshwater fish found in Himalayan rivers, prized by anglers.
- Endangered Status The species is endangered, threatened by dam construction, pollution, and overfishing across its river habitats.
- Indian Nightjar, Spoonbill, White Ibis Are Birds All three of these are genuine bird species found across various Indian habitats, unlike the Golden Mahseer.
Good to Know
📘 Good to Know
Meet the Three Genuine Birds in This Question
- Indian Nightjar A small, nocturnal bird known for its camouflaged plumage and distinctive churring call, common across India.
- Eurasian Spoonbill A large wading bird, easily identified by its long, flat, spatula-shaped bill used to catch fish and crustaceans.
- White Ibis A wading bird found across a range of Indian wetland and coastal habitats.
📝 Previous Year Questions
UPSC CSP 2022 — Which of These Is Not a Bird
- UPSC 2022 The Golden Mahseer is a fish, not a bird. Indian Nightjar, Spoonbill, and White Ibis are all genuine birds. See UPSC CSP 2022 GS Paper I, Q47. View this question.
Test Yourself
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Great to Know
🌟 Great to Know
Why This “Odd One Out” Format Keeps Appearing
- A Deliberate Trap Mixing one non-bird into a list of birds tests whether candidates actually recognise the outlier species, not just memorised lists.
- Fish-Named-Like-Predators Names like “Tiger of the Indian Rivers” for a fish can mislead candidates who assume tiger-like names always point to mammals.
- Connects to Other PYQ Facts This same “spot the outlier” format has also tested plant-versus-animal and bird-versus-mammal groupings in other UPSC questions.
Beyond the answer
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