Survey of Indian Skimmer and its Threats in

Samiul Mohsanin Bangladesh club House 11, Apt. 4B, Road 4, Bonani DOHS, Dhaka-1206, Bangladesh Email: [email protected] ™ Report on OBC Conservation Project # P962 Samiul Mohsanin for BirdingASIA 20

Survey of Indian Skimmer and its threats in Bangladesh

Indian Skimmer albicollis is listed as globally vulnerable due to its rapid decline by >30% in the last 18 years (BirdLife International 2001) and its global population is estimated only about 6,000-10,000 individuals (BirdLife International 2013 Species factsheet). Bangladesh holds an important role in the world for the conservation of this species as every year a large part of the population (c.1,100-5,400) winters in the south coast (Li et al. 2009). Last two years (2011 and 2012) Asian Waterbird Census results show that the distribution of Indian Skimmer in Bangladesh is shifting. Thus this study was designed to monitor the wintering population and identify the threats of the threatened Indian Skimmers in the coastal areas of Bangladesh.

The author and his team conducted the boat based surveys in the historic range of the Indian Skimmers between November 2012 and April 2013. During the surveys it has been observed that the Indian Skimmers arrive Bangladesh in early January and stays till the mid May and mainly confined to the estuaries of the Domar Char (island) (22⁰.N, 91⁰.E) of southern Hatia Island of Noakhali District in Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna delta; their wintering counts were about 600, 559, 200, 89 and 13 individuals respectively from January till May. The team had to abandon the survey in May 2013 due to tropical cyclone Mahase alert in the coast. However, the team managed to collect the field data on skimmer population of 13 individuals from the local source (the boatman, who was hired during the surveys and was trained to identify the skimmer). The local source was unable to confirm any nest of the Indian Skimmer. In March, the team noticed at least 20 pairs and 5 active nests (22⁰.7N, 91⁰344.6E) of River Terns Sterna aurantiaI in the highest mound of sandy beach at Domar Char, indicating the Domar Char remains one of very few places where River Tern still breeds in Bangladesh.

During the survey tenure a total of 55 (Appendix 1) waterbirds were listed from the Domar Char and its adjacent chars including a globally threateed Nordas Greeshak Tringa guttifer (Endangered) and highest 600 Indian Skimmers Rynchops albicollis (Vulnerable). Furthermore, six Near Threatened species i.e. 2,300 Black-tailed Godwits Limosa limosa, 180 Eurasian Curlews Numenius arquata, 5 Asian Dowitchers Limnodromus semipalmatus, 40 River Terns S. aurantiaI, 331 Black-headed Ibises Threskiornis melanocephalus, and 7 Painted Storks Mycteria leucocephala were recorded from the study site. Though the habitat is very potential for Spoon-billed Sandpipers Eurynorhynchus pygmeus (Critically Endangered) but none of it were spotted during the survey. The threats identified were over fishing; disturbance in the roosting ground from increasing cattle grazing (mainly feral Water buffalo) and human disturbance by heavy seasonal day and night fishing activity covering all tidal cycles; island conversion to cultivable lands and; river pollution from industrial waste, pesticides used in the farmland, fuel debris from marine vessels; land erosion; and taking over newly formed mudflats and chars by the influenced peoples in the society.

Survey results show that about 90% (c.5400 to 600 individuals) decline in Skimmer population from Bangladesh only in last 12 years (2000-2013). Rahmani (2012) also reported over 50% (c.555 to 230 individuals) declines between the years 1994 to 2010 from its core breeding area in Madhya Pradesh, . This indicates that the species is facing rapid decline over its ranges. Urgent long term monitoring to understand its movement (identifying the breeding ground of the wintering population in Bangladesh) and conservation initiative need to be started throughout its range. Collaborative research is also needed between the range countries especially between India and Bangladesh. Moreover, considering the rate of overall population decline, the threat category (IUCN/BirdLife International) of this species needs urgent reassessment.

Acknowledgement: Survey team is very grateful to OBC council for awarding the AEC-OBC conservation grant to support this study. Special thanks to Bangladesh bird club members, Enam Ul Haque, Paul Thompson, Philip D Round, Bill Jones, Kevin Thornton, Sayam U. Chowdhury, Simon Carter, Ron Hodgson and Helen Smith to help support the study.

References: BirdLife International. (2001). Threatened of : the BirdLife International Red Data Book. BirdLife International, Cambridge, U.K. BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Rynchops albicollis. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 02/10/2013. Li, Z.W.D., Bloem, A., Delany S., Martakis G. and Quintero J. O. (2009). Status of Waterbirds in Asia-Results of the Asian Waterbird Census: 1987-2007. Wetlands International, Kualalumpur, Malaysia. Rahmani, A. R. (2012). Threatened Birds of India-Their Conservation Requirements. Bombay Natural History Society. P.870 Appendix 1: Waterbirds recorded from Domar Char, Hatia between November 2012 and April 2013)

19-20 26-28 14-15 14-16 11-13 19-20 Species Total Nov 12 Dec 12 Jan 13 Feb 13 Mar 13 Apr 13 Greylag Goose Anser anser 50 50 Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus 36 200 8 2 3 249 Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea 19 20 35 74 Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna 101 480 150 74 45 15 865 Gadwall Anas strepera 22 60 82 Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope 2,060 650 1,400 570 30 49 4,759 Common teal Anas crecca 15 15

Northern Pintail Anas acuta 4 50 5 59 Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata 32 20 25 63 22 18 180 Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa NT 171 240 370 163 2,300 250 3,494 Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica 20 150 170 Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus 25 11 24 25 13 98 Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata NT 101 32 75 93 180 37 518

Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus 13 13 Common Redshank Tringa totanus 102 50 32 30 52 23 289 Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis 1 4 5 Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia 5 3 12 3 3 2 28 Nordmanns Greenshank Tringa guttifer EN 1 1 2 Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus 3 10 32 22 43 31 141 Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos 2 10 2 5 4 23 Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres 2 5 2 9 Asian Dowitcher Limnodromus semipalmatus NT 5 5 Sanderling Calidris alba 13 2 25 3 43 Little Stint/Red-necked Stint Calidris minuta/ruficolis 5 12 11 62 5 95 Dunlin Calidris alpina 10 2 11 23 Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea 8 36 2 6 28 11 91 Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus 60 2 5 15 12 94 Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta 5 50 140 12 3 8 218 Small Pratincole Glareola lactea 320 2 6 50 27 405 Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva 800 100 65 42 39 1,046 Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola 91 65 4 85 48 21 314 Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus 26 30 13 21 90 Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus 5,000 830 500 1,665 1,250 450 9,695 Greater Sand Plover Charadrius leschenaultii 100 165 15 110 250 640 Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis 2 2 Pallass Gull Larus ichthyaetus 90 10 65 65 17 12 259 Heuglins Gull Larus heuglini 3 3 Brown-headed Gull Larus brunnicephalus 400 75 145 2,500 800 250 4,170 Gull-billed Tern Sterna nilotica 8 17 3 22 50 River Tern Sterna aurantia NT 6 14 5 13 40 28 106 Common Tern Sterna hirundo 4 16 2 4 26 Little Tern Sterna albifrons 2 30 5 12 49 Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida 12 2 17 31 Indian Skimmer Rynchops albicollis VU 600 559 200 89 1,448 Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger 15 18 7 40 Little Egret Egretta garzetta 12 18 25 8 7 70 Great Egret Casmerodius albus 10 6 26 78 22 28 170 Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia 200 10 92 10 12 324 Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis 160 10 9 100 35 54 368 Indian Pond Heron Ardeola grayii 50 15 12 5 8 11 101 Grey Heron Ardea cinerea 2 1 2 5 Black-crowned Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax 4 2 6 Black-headed Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus NT 331 18 34 31 15 8 437

Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia 4 4 Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala NT 7 2 9 Unidentified Shorebirds 1,000 500 400 250 20,000 300 22,450

Total 54,010

Map: Map 1: Map showing the study area

Map 2: satellite image of the study site

Photographs: (All the photographs taken by the author)

Fig. 1. Indian Skimmers skimming in Meghna river estuary near Domar Char (13 March 2013)

Fig. 2. One single flock of Skimmers (n=559) at Domar Char (15 Feb 2013)

Fig. 3. Largest flock of Painted Storks (n=7) ever recorded in Bangladesh from

Domar Char (19 Nov 2012)

Fig. 4. Cattle grazing (feral Water Buffalo) is one of the major threats at Domar Char (12 Mar 2013)

Fig. 5. Over harvesting of is another major threat for Indian Skimmers in Bangladesh (14 Feb 2013)

Fig. 6. Continuous fishing gears across the whole river reducing the foraging places near Domar Char (14 Feb 2013)

Fig. 7. Indian Skimmer survey team in March 2013 at Domar Char, Hatia, Bangladesh

Samiul Mohsanin Bangladesh bird club House 11, Apt. 4B, Road 4, Bonani DOHS, Dhaka-1206, Bangladesh Email: [email protected]