Species count down 15%, sets alarm bells ringing
New Delhi:
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
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Bird Watchers Call For Urgent Steps To Protect Wetlands
The results of Big Bird Day 2016 have left many worried as the total number of species in NCR seems to have come down significantly since 2005.The annual event, which sees participation from teams across the country , sends all its data to ebird portal which consolidates and arrives at trends. BBD organisers told TOI that each team reported a 10% to 15% decline in last year's numbers but birders arent' sure why .Members of the Delhi Bird Group, who organise the event, said wetlands in NCR need to be protected immediately and scientific studies should be conducted to understand why numbers are going down even as the number of birding teams are increasing. For instance, this year, four more teams participated and scouted new places.
BBD began in 2004 as a fun exercise for birders in the NCR but it is now conducted nationwide. The information gathered from this event is valuable for conservation too as it gives people an idea of whether biodiversity is declining or improving over years. “Last year, Bhindawas reported the highest number of species at 184.This time it saw only 150. Somebody , possibly the forest department, needs to figure out why numbers are dropping. Very good wetlands like Basai near Noida are facing immense pressure from the construction sector,“ said Bikram Grewal, author and birder.
This time there were a couple of surprises too--Dighal, a wetland near Jhajjar, reported 161 species while he wetland at Dhanori, which was included for the irst time, reported 109 species. Birders said that while no extremely rare bird was spot ed, those worth mentioning nclude Red Throated Pipit, Whistler's Warbler and Grey Bushchat. “There are vagrant species that are not seen very often in the city ,“ added Grewal.
Scientists at Yamuna Biodiversity Park (YBP) also reported a marginal decline in numbers with about 100 species in 2013, 95 in 2014, 109 in 2015 and 92 in 2016. “It is difficult to say what is causing he trend. It could be local habitat loss, degrading wet lands. The possibility of the warm weather in Europe affecting migration is also being discussed. I think lack of wetland vegetation like Vallisniria, Hydrilla, Phragmitis could greatly affect species. Marshes are fast disappearing,“ said Faiyaz A Khudsar, scientist in charge, YBP.
The park has, however, also reported sightings that bring new hope. The Common Pochard, considered a `near-threatened' species by International Union for Conservation of Nature, was seen in large numbers here. Also spotted were important species such as Common Teal and Red Crested Pochards.
BBD began in 2004 as a fun exercise for birders in the NCR but it is now conducted nationwide. The information gathered from this event is valuable for conservation too as it gives people an idea of whether biodiversity is declining or improving over years. “Last year, Bhindawas reported the highest number of species at 184.This time it saw only 150. Somebody , possibly the forest department, needs to figure out why numbers are dropping. Very good wetlands like Basai near Noida are facing immense pressure from the construction sector,“ said Bikram Grewal, author and birder.
This time there were a couple of surprises too--Dighal, a wetland near Jhajjar, reported 161 species while he wetland at Dhanori, which was included for the irst time, reported 109 species. Birders said that while no extremely rare bird was spot ed, those worth mentioning nclude Red Throated Pipit, Whistler's Warbler and Grey Bushchat. “There are vagrant species that are not seen very often in the city ,“ added Grewal.
Scientists at Yamuna Biodiversity Park (YBP) also reported a marginal decline in numbers with about 100 species in 2013, 95 in 2014, 109 in 2015 and 92 in 2016. “It is difficult to say what is causing he trend. It could be local habitat loss, degrading wet lands. The possibility of the warm weather in Europe affecting migration is also being discussed. I think lack of wetland vegetation like Vallisniria, Hydrilla, Phragmitis could greatly affect species. Marshes are fast disappearing,“ said Faiyaz A Khudsar, scientist in charge, YBP.
The park has, however, also reported sightings that bring new hope. The Common Pochard, considered a `near-threatened' species by International Union for Conservation of Nature, was seen in large numbers here. Also spotted were important species such as Common Teal and Red Crested Pochards.
Source: Times of India, 9-02-2009
