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Protecting the Greater Adjutant Stork D.N FEATURE ARTICLE Protecting the Greater Adjutant Stork D.N. Choudhary TORK is a group of large- well as garbage dumps. It is the most Greater Adjutants has been estimated to sized wetland birds with long threatened stork in the world and being be around 1300-1400. heavy bills and long legs. They a top avian carnivore helps to maintain S Recently, the Kadwa-Koshi flood are carnivorous and mainly feed on the ecological balance. It has been plains in district Bhagalpur, Bihar has amphibians, small reptiles, rodents, considered to be globally threatened and been recognized as the second breeding small mammals and few species like declared as “Endangered” by Birdlife zone of Greater Adjutants in India and the Greater Adjutant stork also feed on International in 2010. It has also been third in the world after Assam and carcases. placed under the schedule IV of wild life Cambodia. However, in the recent past Protection Act,1972 amended in 2006. Out of 19 species of storks found breeding success in Assam has been in the world, eight species have been Although before 2006 it was known recorded extremely poor, the nesting reported from India and seven species to breed only in Assam in India, colonies are declining sharply due to are common in Bihar. The Greater currently it has also been reported to be some unknown reasons and the total Adjutant stork (Leptoptilos dubius) is the breeding in Bihar when a small breeding estimated population in Assam has largest and rarest among all the storks. population was discovered by a team been recorded to be around 500-600. In Bihar it is popularly known as Bara of bird watchers of the local Mandar Available data also suggests that the Nature Club in district Bhagalpur on the Garur or Dhenk or Ghegawala Garur Cambodian population declined heavily flood plains of river Ganges and Koshi. and in Assam as Hargila. in past decades. By 2001, several The population of Greater Adjutants breeding sites recorded in the 1990s had It is a huge (130-150 cm in height) appears to be increasing every year in been abandoned. Since 2001, more or dark stork with long legs, long and different tolas of Kadwa and Khairpur less a stabilized national population of heavy bill, a long pink neck or breast Panchayats located on the flood plains of around 150-200 birds has been reported pouch suspended from the neck, greyish river Koshi popularly known as Kadwa- from Cambodia after taking some black wing with a long white band Koshi flood plains or Kadwa-Koshidiara protection measures at the breeding site. on the outerside and a deep orangish in Bhagalpur. Their numbers have been air sac at the base of the neck, which recorded as 75-80 in 2006-07, 155-160 In Bihar, for the first time in differentiates this bird from the Lesser in 2007-08, over 300 individuals in 2004 seven individuals were reported Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus) and 2010-11, more than 400 individuals in by the author and T.K. Ghosh of the other storks. The Greater Adjutant stork 2014-15 and more than 750 individuals Zoology Department of T.M. Bhagalpur has got its name “Adjutant” due to its in 2018-19. University from the roadside wetlands military gait it adopts while walking on According to a recent survey near Pasraha in Khagaria district and the ground. It lacks vocal muscles but done by the author on behalf of the in the same year from Vikramshila produces sounds through the chattering University Department of Zoology, Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary (a part of of its bills and is known to make low T.M. Bhagalpur University, more river Ganges) in Bhagalpur by S.K. grunting, roaring or mooing sounds than 50% of the global population of Choudhary of Botany Department of especially while nesting. Greater Adjutants is residing in this TMBU, Bhagalpur but the best count The Greater Adjutant stork locality of Bihar and the river Koshi of 53 individuals of this species was inhabits wetlands particularly partially and Ganges and their tributaries are reported in the same sanctuary area near dry ones with abundant fishes which providing suitable roosting and feeding Sultanganj in May 2006 by the author include river beds, swamps, paddy grounds for these storks and other birds and Arvind Mishra of Mandar Nature fields, stagnant pools and lakes as also. Presently the global population of Club, Bhagalpur. 24 | Science Reporter | November 2019 The breding season of the Greater The rapid increase in the number of Many awareness programmes Adjutants starts from the first week of Greater Adjutants in this area of Bihar have been conducted. The feeling of September and ends in the first week may be due to availability of plenty of ownership of the world’s third breeding of April with a slight variation of 7-10 food and water from the nearby river zone of the Greater Adjutants in their days. They generally prefer to build their Koshi and Ganges and their tributaries, village helped our objective to some nest on large wide branched trees with suitable climate, security provided by extent. The Greater Adjutants also thin foliage cover at a height of about the local villagers and presence of large prey on rats and snakes. Villagers 15-20 m. nesting trees such as Peepal, Banyan, who were deeply associated with the Their nests look like spherical Semal, Pakar, Kadamb and Gamhar. conservation activities were honoured in baskets made up of plant twigs. The functions jointly organized by the Forest parent bird gradually increases the Department and Mandar Nature Club. Consevation Efforts diameter of the nests by adding plant In addition, plantation of suitable twigs as the chicks grow. The parent Mass awareness created by the local trees in the breeding zone, organizing birds also collect green delicate leaves Mandar Nature club of Bhagalpur field trips or bird tourism for school from nearby trees for cushioning the nest. towards the conservation and protection and college students were organized. Both the parent birds share in nesting, of these globally threatened storks may The media also played a big role in incubation, nursing and guarding their be another important factor for the highlighting the importance of the chicks one by one. increasing population of these birds. Greater Adjutant’s breeding in Bihar and November 2019 | Science Reporter | 25 the names of these remote villages and the local community and higher officials Adjutants, Painted storks, Black neck the villagers have featured in newspapers of the state government. storks and white neck storks brought and electronic media making the villagers from the breeding site of Naugachia feel proud. Garur Rescue and Rehabilitation subdivision. Many known Naturalists and Centre, Bhagalpur Frequent visits of students and the Ornithologists of India and abroad have The Garur Rescue and Rehabilitation residents of the area to the Centre are started visiting the breeding sites of the centre was established at Sundarvan, arranged to promote sensitivity towards Greater Adjutants and interacting with Bhagalpur in 2014 by the Department the Greater Adjutants. It is hoped that the local community involved in bird of Environment, Forest and Climate this will go a long way in protecting the conservation. Dr Paul Donald, Principal Change of Bhagalpur Forest Division. breeding sites of these wonderful birds. Conservational Scientist and Mr. Iyan It is the first centre of its kind in India Barber, International Manager of Royal established for the care and treatment of Society for the Protection of Birds injured storks. Since its establishment, it Dr D.N. Choudhary is with the University (RSPB), UK, Mr. Ashish Kothari, from has been home to permanently or partially Department of Zoology, T.M. Bhagalpur Kalpa Vriksha, and Dr Asad Rahmani, injured Greater Adjutants and also other University, Bhagalpur, Bihar–812007. He is former director of the Bombay Natural migratory birds rescued from the region. also associated with the Mandar Nature Club, History Society, (BNHS), Mumbai visited It has also seen successful rehabilitation Bhagalpur. the breeding site and also interacted with and release of Greater Adjutants, lesser Email: [email protected] 26 | Science Reporter | November 2019.
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