At least 15 avian species found in India figure under the list of Critically Endangered in the latest International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red list of Birds.
These include the Great Indian Bustards, various species of vultures and forest owlets among others. Further, three other bird species now face greater danger than before.
This should be a wakeup call for the conservationists and the Government before it is too late, said the ornithologists. This year marks the 49th anniversary of the Red list, which IUCN compiles from available scientific research on rare living things.
Apart from the GIBs, other prominent species under the critically endangered category include wetland birds - Baer’s Pochard, Siberian Crane and Spoon-billed Sandpiper, non-migratory wetland bird the White-bellied Heron. The grassland species include Bengal Florican, Jerdon’s Courser and Sociable lapwing amongst others. Himalayan Quail and Pink-headed Duck are now considered Extinct for all practical purposes.
Among the three avian species that are said to face greater danger in 2013 IUCN list are River lapwing and River Tern that have been put from least Concern to Near Threatened. The long-tailed Duck on the other hand has been uplisted from least Concern to Vulnerable. Continued destruction of wetlands and riverine habitats has been the cause of decline of these species.
According to Dr Asad Rahmani, avian expert, “There is an urgent need to conserve the remaining habitats and species dependent on them, based on insightful scientific field research. Policies that ensure this through sustainable development should be framed and implemented urgently.”
Several studies have revealed that most habitats as wetlands, grasslands and forests are facing severe threats due to the developmental pressures. Drastic loss of grassland habitat over the past decades has severely threatened species such as Great Indian Bustard, Bengal Florican and Jerdon’s Courser. Further, destruction of deciduous forests in central India has lead to the decline in Forest Owlet numbers. Even destruction of forests in the fragile Western Ghats and Himalaya continue to endanger the existence of many other species. Other reasons include incidence of chemical components as diclofenac for decline in vulture species.
On a global level, IUCN assessed 71,576 species for the report and found that 21,286 are threatened with extinction. About 799 species were declared extinct, 61 were declared extinct in the wild, and 4,286 are listed as critically endangered. The Red list is considered the most important indicator of both the health of species and the ecosystems in which they live.