BNHS conduct nationwide survey of sarus cranes to map habitats, step up conservation

The Bombay Natural History Society BNHS conducted a nationwide survey of sarus cranes on October 10 and 11 to assess the population of the worlds tallest flying bird and strengthen conservation effortsThe exercise which is being done to commemorate World Migratory Bird Day observed on October 10 aims to establish a standardised national population baseline to help track changes in numbers and identify priority areas for conservation the society said in a statement on FridayIt has appealed to state forest departments research institutions conservation groups farmers local communities educational institutions and citizen scientists to participate in the exercise by visiting sarus crane habitatsParticipants have been asked to record their observations and send their counts to saruscranesurveygmailcomLaunching a synchronised nationwide survey would help track the bird numbers identify important habitats and generate scientific evidence to protect the species and the landscapes on which it depends BNHS director Kishor Rithe saidDr P Sathiyaselvem Deputy Director of BNHS and head of its Central Asian Flyway Programme said the survey would help identify important breeding feeding and roosting sites prioritise wetland restoration map areas vulnerable to powerline collisions and electrocution and promote cranefriendly agricultural practicesThe findings could also help strengthen communitybased conservation and develop evidencebased plans at the national and state levels he saidSarus crane Antigone antigone is Indias only resident breeding crane species and is listed as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Natures IUCN Red List It is also included in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CITES and accorded protection under Schedule I of the Wild Life Protection Act 1972Standing about 15 metres tall the bird inhabits wetlands marshes shallow water bodies grasslands and agricultural landscapes Its presence is considered an indicator of the health of wetland and agricultural ecosystemsThe BNHS said the species has disappeared from or become scarce in several parts of its historical range and is now found largely in pockets across Uttar Pradesh Gujarat Rajasthan Madhya Pradesh and Haryana with isolated populations in MaharashtraWetland degradation changes in agricultural land use pesticides and other chemicals powerline collisions electrocution human disturbance poaching and predation by wild and freeranging dogs are among the major threats to the speciesAn earlier international assessment estimated Indias sarus crane population at 8000 to 10000 birds with a declining trend However these estimates cannot be directly compared with more recent statelevel counts because of differences in survey methods geographical coverage and counting efforts the society saidAccording to the statement Uttar Pradesh reported nearly 20000 sarus cranes in its 2024 count highlighting its importance as a stronghold for the speciesThe State of Indias Birds report recorded a longterm population decline of 7684 per cent and an annual decline of 433 per cent for the species it addedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever