Avifaunal Biodiversity in Chhattisgarh Plain Region of Madhya Pradesh

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Avifaunal Biodiversity in Chhattisgarh Plain Region of Madhya Pradesh Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 Avifaunal Biodiversity in Chhattisgarh Plain Region of Madhya Pradesh Kavita Dwivedi 1, Amit Tiwari 2, Kamini Parmar 3, Mahendra Kumar Mishra 4* & Ruchita Triapthi 3* 1 Department of Zoology, Awadhesh Pratap Singh University, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, India 2 Department of Zoology & Biotechnology, Government T. R. S. College, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, India 3Department of Biotechnology, Government T. R. S. College, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, India 4Department of Botany, Government College Rehti, Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, India *Corresponding Author(s): 1. Dr. Mahendra Kumar Mishra Department of Botany Government College Rehti, Sehore, Madhya Pradesh, India 2. Dr. Ruchita Tripathi Department of Biotechnology Government T. R. S. College, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh, India Abstract Birds are excellent predictors of environmental change. Given the importance of birds in conservation plans and environmental evaluations, a greater ecological understanding of avian population structure is needed. The relationship between tropical birds and their environment, food habits, and diversity in Chhattisgarh Plain regions is poorly studied in Madhya Pradesh. In this study, 79 avian species from 41 families and 16 orders were reported. Key Words: Climatical Zones, Madhya Pradesh, Avian diversity, Environment, Chhattisgarh Plain, Biodiversity. I. INTRODUCTION Today, the biodiversity discovered on earth comprises several millions of various biological organisms that result from about 3.5 billion years of evolution. For the last 3.5 billion years, many plants and animals have come into being, flourished, and then disappeared for different causes. India is the twelfth mega biodiversity country with the most incredible floristic diversity and is host to several plants and animals. Himalaya and Western Ghat are the two hottest hot spots in India. Awareness of forest structure and floristics is vital for analyzing forest dynamics, plant-animal interactions, and nutrient cycling [1]. Therefore, it is crucial to know the different species of plants and animals that inhibit any particular area during that specific period [2]. Madhya Pradesh comprises India's heartland. The state is presently split into Madhya Pradesh (21°-25° N & 74°-84°E) and Chhattisgarh. Together, these states form the core unit of Central India. Geologically, the Central Indian Plateau is a feature of the Plate of Gondwana. The present Madhya Pradesh can be divided into eleven agroclimatic zones. Names are Jhabua Hills, Gird Region, Nimar Plains, Bundelkhand, Malwa Plateau, Satpura Plateau, Vindhya Plateau, Chhattisgarh Plains, Central Narmada Velly, North Hills of Chhattisgarh and Kymore Plateau, and Satpura Hills [3] Fig 1 . The climate of Madhya Pradesh is tropical. Location and physiographical factors significantly impact the State's climatic charatersicts and fauna and flora habitat. The State is away from oceans. Temperature fluctuation is relatively high. The presence of different mountain and plateau surfaces have a moderate impact on temperature Volume X Issue IV APRIL 2021 Page No : 131 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 conditions. The low-lying valleys of Chambal's, Mahanadi, and Narmada are hot, dry, and uncomfortable in Summer. However, the plateau of Malwa and Satpura-Maikal ranges are reasonably pleasant in summer. December and January are the coldest months, and the typical minimum temperatures varying from 10°C to 7°C in the northwest to 14° C in the south. The average land rainfall is 700 mm Northwestern to 160 mm in the southern region. Maximum precipitation is received during the southwest monsoon [4]. Madhya Pradesh state has reported the extent of recorded forest area (RFA) 94,689 sq km, which is 30.72% of its geographical regions, including 9 national parks, 6 tiger reserve parks, 25 wildlife sanctuaries, and 10862 sq km protected areas. The analysis of avifaunal diversity is an essential ecological tool which acts as a crucial indicator for the qualitative and quantitative assessment of different habitat[5]. Unfortunately, global bird diversity is slowly diminishing, mostly due to anthropogenic threats [6] and climate change [7-8]. No wonder that the IUCN Red List of Endangered Birds has now recognized 1226 bird species as globally endangered, and India is classified 7th with 88 endangered bird species [9]. According to Hughes et al. (1997) [10], a total of 1800 populations per hour were killed in tropical forests, thus 16 million per year. Gaston and Blackburn (2003) estimate that after pre-agricultural amounts of the global bird population has decreased by one-fifth to one-quarter due to shifts in land-use trends on their own [11]. Birds have been studied in different central Indian regions before independence; thus, no comprehensive work is available on either Madhya Pradesh or Chhattisgarh. In this view, the Zoological Survey of India undertook to present the current status of Madhya Pradesh. However, some researchers have been reported and published locally from time to time. Each climatical zones has its own collection of natural resources as well as restrictions. Rice-based cropping systems distinguish the eastern part of the state, light alfisols with low water holding capacity and prone to erosion, primarily due to higher and often high-intensity rainfall. Rainfall in this region of the state averages around 1500 mm per year, with the majority falling during the southwest monsoon season. The state's central and western regions rely on a soybean-based cropping system, while pulses and oilseeds play an important role in the region. The Balaghat District lies in the Southern part of Madhya Pradesh state between the parallels of latitude 21 °30 ′ to 22 °30 ′ and 80 °00 ′ to 81 °00 ′ East Longitude. It is bounded by the district Mandla in North, Rajnandgaon & Durg districts in the east and south, and Seoni district in the west. The district is divided into 10 Tehsils and 10 Blocks. There are 1400 Villages. Three types of soils broadly cover the district, Black cotton soils, Sandy loam & lateritic soil. Wain Ganga, Bagh, Banjar, Shisire, Sod, Tumnar, and their tributaries form WainGanga & Narmada river basins. The pattern of drainage, on the whole, is dendritic. The Climate of Balaghat District, M. P. is sub-tropical characterized by a hot summer and general dryness except during the southwest monsoon season. The year may be divided into four seasons. The cold season, December to February, is followed by the hot season from March to about June. The period from the middle of June to September in the southwest monsoon. October and November form the post-monsoon or transition period. The average maximum temperature recorded during May is 43 ° C, and the minimum during December is 8 °C. The average annual means maximum and minimum Balaghat district temperatures are 32 °C & 8 °C respectively. During the southwest monsoon season, the relative humidity ranges between 70-75%. In the rest of the year, it is drier. The year's driest part is the summer season when relative humidity is less than 34%. May is the driest month of the year. Due to such high variability in Chhattisgarh Plain region of Madhya Pradesh climatic conditions, it is necessary to document the avifaunas. We have documented the reported avifauns and their food habit, habitat, resident and IUCN status in the present review. II. MATERIALS AND METHODS Materials Publication regarding avifaunal diversity in each district of Madhya Pradesh was extracted in the database such as Nature, Science Direct, Google Scholar, PubMed, ResearchGate, Wiley, Scopus, Springer. Keywords used in this study included “Avifaunal Diversity”, “Name of District of Madhya Pradesh”. Out of the 20 collected articles, 18 were excluded due to non-relevance or lack of access to the original article. The chronological filter was also applied for this study articles published 2005 onward was considered for this review. Inclusion and exclusion criteria The search was restricted to english language articles. All studies found during the search were independently evaluated for competence and inclusion by different authors. After compliance with inclusion criteria, the Volume X Issue IV APRIL 2021 Page No : 132 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 articles were arranged chronologically, and the same species were extracted and tabulated once. A separate table of each climatical zone was tabulated. III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Features of Resources and Climatical Zones There is tremendous variation among the state's physiographic provinces' regions: they vary from low altitude regions (less than 50 meters) to higher elevations (1200 meters). The state is drained by the rivers Yamuna, Ganga, Narmada, Mahanadi, and Godavari. The state was divided into five physiographic regions and eleven agro-climatic zones based on broad land features and various soil and rainfall patterns ( Fig. 1 & Table 1 ). Fig 1: Agroclimatic Zones of Madhya Pradesh. 1. Gwalior, Bhind, and Morena districts are part of the northern low lying plains, which stretch to Bundelkhand up to the west of the Panna range and exclude Rewa district areas between the Panna and Kaymore hills of Baghelkhand. 2. Vidisha, Shivpuri, Datia, Guna, Ujjain, and Mandsour districts, as well as portions of Sehore, Raisen, and Dewas districts, make up the Malwa and Vindhyan Plateau. Wide undulating plains of black cotton soil scattered with flat-topped hills make up the landscape. It also has the hilly Vindhyan Plateau to the north of the Narmada Valley and the south of Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand's low-lying areas. It ran from the east of the Malwa plateau to the Satpura range's Maikal and Dorea hills. 3. From Jabalpur in the east to Barwani in the west, the Narmada Valley stretches. It is approximately 560 kilometers long and 48 kilometers high, with the Vindhyan range to the north and the Satpura range to the south. It involves Jabalpur, Nasinghpur, Hoshangabad, Khandwa, Khargone, Barwani, and Dhar districts and portions of Raisen, Sehore, and Dewas districts. 4. The Satpura range stretches for around 640 kilometers from west to east across the districts of Khandwa, Betul, Chhindwara, Seoni, and Mandla.
Recommended publications
  • Title of the Project: Monitoring of Migratory Birds at Selected Water Bodies of Murshidabad District
    REPORT ON THE PROJECT 2020 Title of the project: Monitoring of Migratory Birds at selected water bodies of Murshidabad district Submitted by Santi Ranjan Dey Department of Zoology, Rammohan College, 102/1, Raja Rammohan Sarani, Kolkata 09 2020 REPORT ON THE PROJECT Title of the project: Monitoring of Migratory Birds at selected water bodies of Murshidabad District: Introduction: The avian world has always been a fascination to the human world and has been a subject of our studies. Mythological documents hold a number of examples of birds being worshiped as goods with magical powers by the ancient civilizations. Even today winged wonders continue to be the subject of our astonishment primarily because of their ability to fly, their ability to build extraordinarily intricate nests, and of course, the brilliant colour of their plumage – features that no human being can replicate. Taxonomically birds are categorized in “Orders” “Families” and “Genera” and “species”. But overall they are divided into two groups: Passeriformes (or Passerines) and Non Passeriformes (non passerines). At least 60% of all bird species are Passeriformes or song birds, their distinguishing characteristics being their specialized leg structure, vocal structure and brain-wiring which allows them to produce complex songs. The non- passerine comprises 28 out of 29 orders of birds in the world. Throughout the world approximately 11,000 species are found. India is having 1301 species. West Bengal has 57.69% of the total avian fauna (750 species). Though there are many nomenclatures used by different people, we followed “Standardized common and scientific names of birds of Indian subcontinent by Manakadan and Pittie (2001).” Identification of bird is generally based on combination of various characteristics.
    [Show full text]
  • Malawi Trip Report 12Th to 28Th September 2014
    Malawi Trip Report 12th to 28th September 2014 Bohm’s Bee-eater by Keith Valentine Trip Report compiled by Tour Leader: Keith Valentine RBT Malawi Trip Report September 2014 2 Top 10 Birds: 1. Scarlet-tufted Sunbird 2. Pel’s Fishing Owl 3. Lesser Seedcracker 4. Thyolo Alethe 5. White-winged Apalis 6. Racket-tailed Roller 7. Blue Swallow 8. Bohm’s Flycatcher 9. Babbling Starling 10. Bohm’s Bee-eater/Yellow-throated Apalis Top 5 Mammals: 1. African Civet 2. Four-toed Elephant Shrew 3. Sable Antelope 4. Bush Pig 5. Side-striped Jackal/Greater Galago/Roan Antelope/Blotched Genet Trip Summary This was our first ever fully comprehensive tour to Malawi and was quite simply a fantastic experience in all respects. For starters, many of the accommodations are of excellent quality and are also situated in prime birding locations with a large number of the area’s major birding targets found in close proximity. The food is generally very good and the stores and lodges are for the most part stocked with decent beer and a fair selection of South African wine. However, it is the habitat diversity that is largely what makes Malawi so good from a birding point of view. Even though it is a small country, this good variety of habitat, and infrastructure that allows access to these key zones, insures that the list of specials is long and attractive. Our tour was extremely successful in locating the vast majority of the region’s most wanted birds and highlights included Red-winged Francolin, White-backed Night Heron, African Cuckoo-Hawk, Western Banded Snake
    [Show full text]
  • Avifaunal Diversity of Bibhutibhushan Wildlife Sanctuary, West Bengal, India
    Available online at www.worldscientificnews.com WSN 71 (2017) 150-167 EISSN 2392-2192 Avifaunal Diversity of Bibhutibhushan Wildlife Sanctuary, West Bengal, India Shiladitya Mukhopadhyay1,* and Subhendu Mazumdar2 1Post Graduate Department of Zoology, Barasat Government College, North 24 Parganas, India 2Department of Zoology, Shibpur Dinobundhoo Institution (College), Shibpur, Howrah, India *E-mail address: [email protected] ABSTRACT Birds are found in a variety of habitats, performing various functions. They are highly sensitive to even minor perturbation in ecosystems. Documentation of avian assemblages in different ecosystems is, therefore, becoming increasingly important from environmental monitoring perspective. In absence of comprehensive account of birds of Bibhutibhushan Wildlife Sanctuary, West Bengal, India, we made an attempt to document the birds thriving in this protected area. A total of 102 species of birds belonging to 13 orders and 46 families were recorded during the study period (June 2013 – May 2016). Maximum number of species belong to the order Passeriformes (49 species) and minimum under order Anseriformes (1 species). Among the total bird species, 83 species (81.37%) were resident, 15 species (14.71%) were winter visitor, three species (2.94%) were summer visitor and one species (0.98%) was passage migrant. We noted 38 species of birds (including 36 residents and two summer visitors) to breed within the sanctuary. Analysis of feeding guild data revealed that 46.08% were insectivore, 22.55% were carnivore, 15.69% were omnivore, 6.86% were granivore, 5.88% were frugivore, 1.96% were nectarivore and 0.98% were herbivore. Grey-headed Fish Eagle (Icthyophaga ichthyaetus) and Red- breasted Parakeet (Psittacula alexandri) are two Near Threatened (NT) species designated by IUCN.
    [Show full text]
  • Endangered Species
    Not logged in Talk Contributions Create account Log in Article Talk Read Edit View history Endangered species From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Main page Contents For other uses, see Endangered species (disambiguation). Featured content "Endangered" redirects here. For other uses, see Endangered (disambiguation). Current events An endangered species is a species which has been categorized as likely to become Random article Conservation status extinct . Endangered (EN), as categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Donate to Wikipedia by IUCN Red List category Wikipedia store Nature (IUCN) Red List, is the second most severe conservation status for wild populations in the IUCN's schema after Critically Endangered (CR). Interaction In 2012, the IUCN Red List featured 3079 animal and 2655 plant species as endangered (EN) Help worldwide.[1] The figures for 1998 were, respectively, 1102 and 1197. About Wikipedia Community portal Many nations have laws that protect conservation-reliant species: for example, forbidding Recent changes hunting , restricting land development or creating preserves. Population numbers, trends and Contact page species' conservation status can be found in the lists of organisms by population. Tools Extinct Contents [hide] What links here Extinct (EX) (list) 1 Conservation status Related changes Extinct in the Wild (EW) (list) 2 IUCN Red List Upload file [7] Threatened Special pages 2.1 Criteria for 'Endangered (EN)' Critically Endangered (CR) (list) Permanent link 3 Endangered species in the United
    [Show full text]
  • Report on Baseline Study of Avian Fauna of Sukkur Riverine Forests, Sindh, Pakistan
    Report on Baseline study of Avian Fauna of Sukkur Riverine Forests, Sindh, Pakistan Project title: Sustainable forest management to secure multiple benefits in Pakistan's high conservation value forests 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. CONTENTS PAGE # 2. List of Figures and Tables 02 3. Project Brief 03 4. Summary 07 5. Introduction 08 6. Methodology 10 7. Results & Discussion 12 8. Threats and Recommendation 15 9. References 16 List of Figures and Tables 1 Fig. 1. Map of Study Area 11 2 Fig. 2. Order Wise Species Richness Recorded From Study 13 Area 3 Fig. 3. Family Wise Species Richness Recorded From 14 Study Area 1 Table 1. Checklist of Avian Fauna Recorded From Study 18 Area 2 Project Brief Project Title: Sustainable forest management to secure multiple benefits in Pakistan's high conservation value forestss Duration: Five years (January 2017 to December 2021) Project Areas: i). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (Temperate forest) ii). Sind (Riverine forest) iii. Punjab (Scrub forest and Riverine forest) Project objective: The objective of the proposed project is to promote sustainable forest management in Pakistan's Western Himalayan Temperate coniferous, Sub-tropical broadleaved evergreen thorn (Scrub) and Riverine forests for biodiversity conservation, mitigation of climate change and securing of forest ecosystem services. In particular, it aims at implementation of three inter-related and mutually complementary components that are focussed at addressing the barriers of inadequate planning, regulatory and institutional frameworks to integrated forest resource
    [Show full text]
  • A Checklist of the Birds of Goa, India
    BAIDYA & BHAGAT: Goa checklist 1 A checklist of the birds of Goa, India Pronoy Baidya & Mandar Bhagat Baidya, P., & Bhagat, M., 2018. A checklist of the birds of Goa, India. Indian BIRDS 14 (1): 1–31. Pronoy Baidya, TB-03, Center for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, Karnataka, India. And, Foundation for Environment Research and Conservation, C/o 407, III-A, Susheela Seawinds, Alto-Vaddem, Vasco-da-Gama 403802, Goa, India. E-mail: [email protected] [Corresponding author] [PB] Mandar Bhagat, ‘Madhumangal’, New Vaddem,Vasco-da-Gama 403802, Goa, India. E-mail: [email protected] [MB] Manuscript received on 15 November 2017. We dedicate this paper to Heinz Lainer, for his commitment to Goa’s Ornithology. Abstract An updated checklist of the birds of Goa, India, is presented below based upon a collation of supporting information from museum specimens, photographs, audio recordings of calls, and sight records with sufficient field notes. Goa has 473 species of birds of which 11 are endemic to the Western Ghats, 19 fall under various categories of the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, and 48 are listed in Schedule I Part (III) of The Indian Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972. 451 species have been accepted into the checklist based on specimens in various museums or on photographs, while 22 have been accepted based on sight record. A secondary list of unconfirmed records is also discussed in detail. Introduction that is about 125 km long. The southern portion of these ghats, Goa, India’s smallest state, sandwiched between the Arabian within Goa, juts out towards the Arabian Sea, at Cabo de Rama, Sea in the west and the Western Ghats in the east, is home to and then curves inland.
    [Show full text]
  • India L M S Palni, Director, GBPIHED
    Lead Coordinator - India L M S Palni, Director, GBPIHED Nodal Person(s) – India R S Rawal, Scientist, GBPIHED Wildlife Institute of India (WII) G S Rawat, Scientist Uttarakhand Forest Department (UKFD) Nishant Verma, IFS Manoj Chandran, IFS Investigators GBPIHED Resource Persons K Kumar D S Rawat GBPIHED Ravindra Joshi S Sharma Balwant Rawat S C R Vishvakarma Lalit Giri G C S Negi Arun Jugran I D Bhatt Sandeep Rawat A K Sahani Lavkush Patel K Chandra Sekar Rajesh Joshi WII S Airi Amit Kotia Gajendra Singh Ishwari Rai WII Merwyn Fernandes B S Adhikari Pankaj Kumar G S Bhardwaj Rhea Ganguli S Sathyakumar Rupesh Bharathi Shazia Quasin V K Melkani V P Uniyal Umesh Tiwari CONTRIBUTORS Y P S Pangtey, Kumaun University, Nainital; D K Upreti, NBRI, Lucknow; S D Tiwari, Girls Degree College, Haldwani; Girija Pande, Kumaun University, Nainital; C S Negi & Kumkum Shah, Govt. P G College, Pithoragarh; Ruchi Pant and Ajay Rastogi, ECOSERVE, Majkhali; E Theophillous and Mallika Virdhi, Himprkrthi, Munsyari; G S Satyal, Govt. P G College Haldwani; Anil Bisht, Govt. P G College Narayan Nagar CONTENTS Preface i-ii Acknowledgements iii-iv 1. Task and the Approach 1-10 1.1 Background 1.2 Feasibility Study 1.3 The Approach 2. Description of Target Landscape 11-32 2.1 Background 2.2 Administrative 2.3 Physiography and Climate 2.4 River and Glaciers 2.5 Major Life zones 2.6 Human settlements 2.7 Connectivity and remoteness 2.8 Major Land Cover / Land use 2.9 Vulnerability 3. Land Use and Land Cover 33-40 3.1 Background 3.2 Land use 4.
    [Show full text]
  • Population and Distribution of Avian Community at Various Habitats in Tranqubar Taluk, Nagapattinam District, Tamilnadu, Southern India R
    © 2019 JETIR May 2019, Volume 6, Issue 5 www.jetir.org (ISSN-2349-5162) POPULATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF AVIAN COMMUNITY AT VARIOUS HABITATS IN TRANQUBAR TALUK, NAGAPATTINAM DISTRICT, TAMILNADU, SOUTHERN INDIA R. Praveen Kumar*1 and G. Thomas Nithiyanandam2 1Research Scholar, Department of Zoology, T.B.M.L. College, Porayar, Tamil Nadu, India, 2Department of Zoology, T.B.M.L. College, Porayar, Tamil Nadu, India. Abstract In the present investigation a total number of 52 species of bird were recorded in the entire study period which consists of 13 orders and 29 families. Some of the species yet to be identified. Out of 52 bird species, 37 (71.15%) bird species were Resident (R), 14 (26.92%) bird species were Resident Migrant (RM) and one (1.92%) species was Migrant (M). The minimum population density of bird species recorded were Little grebe (18.75 Birds/km2), Crow pheasant (15.63 Birds/km2), Black winged kite (15.63 Birds/km2), On the other hand, maximum population of bird species recorded were Small green bee eater (175.00 Birds/km2), Common crow (181.25 Birds/km2), Brahminy starling (271.88 Birds/km2), Indian myna (309.38 Birds/km2), House sparrow (362.50 Birds/km2). In the present investigation the density estimates among months of all species were not statistically significant (df = 4, P 2. 152, P > 0.05 one-way ANOVA-test). The Shannon-wiener diversity index, in different seasons among habitats was showed high values in monsoon (x= 3. 467) and lower during post monsoon (x= 3.062). Maximum diversity index was recorded during premonsoon season and minimum diversity index was recorded during post monsoon and summer seasons.
    [Show full text]
  • The Musk Duck
    The Musk Duck Volume 5 Number 14 June 2020 Silvereye- Ditchfield Lane Photo: Mario Gross CONVENOR’S REPORT Our AGM in early March was conducted, with Peter Sedgwick now replacing Annette Ferguson on the committee and Graham Dent has been appointed Treasurer. Our inaugural Autumn held camp- out at Port Fairy was also achieved prior to the restrictions placed upon us by Covid19. These restrictions unfortunately cancelled all our subsequent meetings and outings including the much anticipated branch outing using the Golden City Paddlesteamer on Lake Wendouree. With restrictions slowly lifting as soon as we are able, our syllabus will resume. However the last few months have provided an opportunity to become very engaged in what happens in our own backyards. Thanks to Ian Ashton for commencing a monthly branch backyard survey and to all who have participated. This pooled data is a valuable resource in reviewing our branch bird lists. And for those who agreed, the data was provided to Federation University via Dr. Grant Palmer for his students to utilise. On a very positive note, we were successful in receiving a grant from the Ballarat council to enable the further printing of our branch produced Common birds of the Ballarat region brochure. Have your bino’s focused on birds and your efforts support habitat conservation. Louise Humble Meetings & Reports Meeting Report Mar 11, 2020 Birds of Costa Rica Tim and Wendy Sandiford Situated in Central America, Costa Rica is well-known as a fine destination for eco-tourism. Protected reserves make up 25% of its total area – with forest still increasing despite population growth.
    [Show full text]
  • Africa's Most Endangered Birds
    he IUCN threat category of Critically on the brink T Endangered is the last resting place for many spe- AFRICA’S MOST ENDANGERED BIRDS cies before they pass through the final gateway to extinc- tion – gone forever. Critically Endangered species are those defined as facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future. Today, worldwide, 190 bird species fall in this category, 27 of which breed in Africa. One of the strategies that has been put in place (by BirdLife International) to help conserve rare birds is the establishment of Important Bird Areas (IBAs). In Africa there are 1 228 IBAs; however, 43 per cent of them have no legal re cognition or protection and one half of them are threatened by agriculture. PHIL HOCKEY explores the factors that are responsible for driving the 27 Critically Endangered African bird species to the brink of extinction. Tristan Albatross. The world breeding population (about 1 500 pairs per year) of this Critically Endan- gered species is confined to Gough and Inaccessible islands and is decreasing. The main threats it faces are predation of chicks by introduced mice and mortality at longliners. Prognosis: poor. PETER RYAN AFRICA’s ENDANGERED BIRDS 55 o far as is known, not one bird species In recent years, rigorous management on These super-rare island birds have interesting Alectroenus nitidisima had their fates sealed by has become extinct in mainland Africa Mauritius has risen to new heights, with a histories. The Madagascar Pochard was com- direct persecution, coupled with the introduc- since 1600, a continent-level record habitat-restoration and predator-removal project mon at Lake Alaotra up until at least the 1930s, tion of predators.
    [Show full text]
  • Buceros 20(1)
    ENVIS Newsletter Vol. 20, No. 1, 2015 Supported by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India ABOUT ENVIS CONTENTS CONSERVING ENVIS (Environmental Information System) is a network of subject-specific centres located in NATURE SINCE1883 various institutions throughout India. The focal point of the present 66 ENVIS centres in India is ENVIS News at the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, New Delhi, which further serves as BUCEROS ENVIS Newsletter the Regional Service Centre (RSC) for INFOTERRA, the global information network of the Avian Ecology Advisory committee meeting of BNHS-ENVIS United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to cater to environment information needs in Vol. 20, No. 1, 2015 Centre...........................................................................3 the South Asian sub-region. The primary objective of all ENVIS centres is to collect, collate, store and disseminate environment related information to various user groups, including ENVIS TEAM AT THE BNHS National News researchers, policy planners, and decision makers. Project Coordinator Dr. Asad R. Rahmani IBCN to compile Kerala Bird Atlas............................3 The ENVIS Centre at the Bombay Natural History Society was set up in June 1996 to serve as a Scientist-in-Charge source of information on Avian Ecology. Pratik P. Tambe International News Objectives of the ENVIS Centre at BNHS Information Officer Sailee M. Joshi Bird Identification App Developed By Cornell ?To create a bibliographic database of published literature related to avian ecology study Research Team............................................................4 ?To publish and distribute BUCEROS newsletter on avian ecology to its members Data Processing Assistant Tejashree D. Nakashe The European Robin is selected as the national ? To create and upload databases on avian ecology on ENVIS website www.bnhsenvis.nic.in EDITORIAL TEAM bird of UK....................................................................5 ? To reply to queries related to birds Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • Sustainable Economic Use of Native Australian Birds and Reptiles
    Sustainable Economic Use of Native Australian Birds and Reptiles Can controlled trade improve conservation of species? Summary of a report of the same name for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation by ACIL Economics Pty Ltd (ACN 058 284 521) in conjunction with Agriculture Western Australia February 1997 RIRDC research Paper Series no 97/26 - ii - © 1997 Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. All rights reserved. ISBN 0 642 24638 6 ISSN 1321 2656 "Sustainable Economic Use of Native Australian Birds and Reptiles" The full report The views expressed and the conclusions reached in this publication are those of the author/s and not necessarily those of persons consulted or the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. RIRDC shall not be responsible in any way whatsoever to any person who relies in whole, or in part, on the contents of this report unless authorised in writing by the Managing Director of RIRDC. This publication is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research, study, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part may be reproduced in any form, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted without the prior written permission from the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation. Requests and inquiries concerning reproduction should be directed to the Managing Director. Researcher Contact Details ACIL Economics & Policy Pty Ltd ACN 058 284 521 Economics, Policy and Strategy Consultants GPO Box 1322 CANBERRA ACT 2601 Phone: 06
    [Show full text]