Number of birds decline in Mainpuri sanctuary

Kanpur: Amid bird flu scare in the country, here's distressing news for bird lovers. A sharp decline was witnessed in the number as well as species of birds during the recent Asian Waterbird Census (AWC), 2021, carried out at the newly designated Ramsar site — Saman Bird Sanctuary in Mainpuri — by a team of volunteers under the supervision of AWC Delhi state coordinator, ecologist and conservationist TK Roy.
“This year, AWC started on January 2. It recorded 40 water bird species with a total population of 803 in comparison to last year’s figure of 45 and 4,005,” Roy told TOI on Thursday.
As per AWC 2021, out of 40 species, 22 are resident waterbird species while 18 are migratory bird species, which includes only six species of long distance winter migratory ducks. “However, many other usually migrating species did not arrive in the sanctuary this year due to degraded wetland habitat, i.e., largely drying wetland and open threats by human disturbance,” said Roy further.
Roy informed TOI that IUCN red-listed species recorded this year includes wooly-necked stork (16 in number) and sarus crane (31 in number), which comes under the vulnerable category of threatened species, besides black-headed ibis, which comes under nearly threatened species.
“Among the winter migratory water birds (ducks) recorded, were common teal, which migrates from North Asia, northern shoveler, which migrates from North Asia, gadwal, which migrates from Central Asia and red-crested pochard, which migrates from Central Asia,” he said.
“Likewise, AWC also recorded, black-necked stork, an Indian resident species, black-headed ibis, and Indian resident species and painted stork, an Indian resident and oriental darter, again an Indian resident species. All these birds are local migratory species and which come under IUCN red-listed threatened species.”
The census was carried out in active collaboration with the National Chambal Sanctuary Project, Agra. A team of volunteers from Dr B R Ambedkar University, Agra and Biodiversity Research & Development Society, Agra also participated, Roy added.