60% of 338 bird species in India tailed off over 30 yrs
Current annual trends could be determined for 359 species, of which 142 have declined (64 rapidly), 189 are stable, and 28 have increased.
(L-R) Indian Roller; Ashy Prinia
NEW DELHI: Of the 338 bird species studied in India for changes in numbers over the last 30 years, 60 per cent have experienced a decline, says a new report based on data from about 30,000 birdwatchers across the country.
Also, 40 per cent (142) of the 359 species evaluated for change over the last seven years have declined, according to the report ‘State of India’s Birds’.
Of the 942 species evaluated, long-term trends could be determined for 338. Of these, 204 species have declined, 98 are stable and 36 have increased, says the report published by a group of 13 government and non-government institutions, including the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and Zoological Survey of India (ZSI).
Current annual trends could be determined for 359 species, of which 142 have declined (64 rapidly), 189 are stable, and 28 have increased.
The report classifies 178 species, including Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Common Teal, Tufted Duck, Greater Flamingo, Sarus Crane, Indian Courser and Andaman Serpent Eagle, as “high conservation priority”.
Greater Flamingo
Fourteen species, including Indian Roller, Common Teal, Northern Shoveler and Common Sandpiper, have dropped by 30 per cent or more and have been recommended for IUCN Red List reassessment, the report says.
Generalist species like feral Rock Pigeon, Ashy Prinia, Asian Koel and Indian Peafowl are doing very well. Other common species like the Baya Weaver and Pied Bushchat are relatively stable, said the report prepared using the data uploaded to the online platform eBird. Habitat specialists — particularly birds of grasslands and other open habitats, wetlands, and woodlands — are declining rapidly.
Also, migratory species appear to be under greater threat than non-migrants while species endemic to the Western Ghats–Sri Lanka region are faring worse than others.
