State of India’s Birds 2023 report
Recently Wildlife Institute of India (WII) and Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) have released the report titled ‘Status of Birds of India, 2023’.
This report is a periodic assessment on the distribution area, population trends and conservation status of major bird species of India.
Key points of the report:
- The number of bird species has decreased due to commercial monoculture gardening, urbanization, infrastructure development, climate change etc.
- The highest decline of more than 50 percent has been recorded in long distance migratory birds.
- Shorebirds that breed in the Arctic have been particularly affected. There has been a decline of about 80 percent in their numbers.
- Several bird species such as the Indian peafowl, rock pigeon, Asiatic cuckoo and common crow are showing an increase in numbers.
Important birds and their habitat areas:
Endangered-
- Indian Skimmer: Found in the region around Chambal, Ganges, Mahanadi, Yamuna and Son rivers.
- Black-Bellied Tern: Found in the vicinity of Chambal, Mahanadi, Ganga, Son, Godavari and Yamuna rivers.
Critically Endangered-
- Great Indian Bustard: Rajasthan, Gujarat etc.
- Bengal Florican: Found in the Himalayan foothills, grasslands of Uttar Pradesh and Northeast India (Assam and Arunachal Pradesh).
- Bear’s Pochard: Found in the wetlands of Assam and Manipur.
Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)
The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) was established in 1916. It was established under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to explore the animal diversity of the country.
Wildlife Institute of India (WII)
- WII सोसाइटी के अध्यक्ष: MoEFCC का प्रभारी मंत्री ।
- ‘Wildlife Institute of India’ established in 1982 as an autonomous Natural Resource Services Institute under MoEFCC, located in Dehradun (Uttarakhand).
- Functions: It conducts wildlife research with reference to biodiversity, endangered species etc.
- President of WII Society: Minister in charge of MoEFCC.
Source – Indian Express
