STATE
OF BIRDS REPORT - REPORTS & INDICES
News: State of birds: Most species show
dip, Indian Peafowl among those flourishing
What's
in the news?
●
The State of India's Birds (SoIB) report
based on data collected from approximately 30,000 birdwatchers has unveiled
concerning trends regarding India's bird population.
Key
takeaways:
●
The study highlights a substantial decline
in numerous bird species, attributing this decline to a range of factors.
SoIB
Report:
●
The SoIB report aims to evaluate the
conservation status of a wide range of species regularly present in India.
●
It is published by a partnership involving 13 governmental and
non-governmental organizations, including SACON, WII, and ZSI.
●
The report extensively employs data from
over 30 million observations of eBird by more than 30,000.
●
The report extensively employs data from
over 30 million observations on eBird by more than 30,000 birdwatchers.
●
The report assesses distribution range
size, abundance trends over the long term and since 2015, and information from
the IUCN Red List to categorize Indian species into Low, Moderate, and High
Conservation Priority tiers.
Key
Highlights of the Report:
1.
Widespread Decline:
●
Among the species analyzed, 60% of those
assessed for long-term trends show decline, while 40% exhibit a decline in
current annual trends.
2.
Raptors and Vultures:
●
Birds consuming vertebrates and carrion,
including raptors and vultures, have significantly declined, possibly due to
pollutants or prey availability reduction.
3.
Endemics and Biodiversity Hotspots:
●
Endemic species in the Western Ghats and
Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot have experienced rapid declines over the past
decades.
4.
Positive Outlook:
●
Certain generalist species, exemplified by
the Indian peafowl, demonstrate remarkable increases in abundance, with a 150%
rise observed over the past decades.
5.
Conservation Priority:
●
The report classifies species into High,
Moderate, and Low Conservation Priority, with 178 species as High Priority, 323
as Moderate, and 441 as Low Priority.
●
Noteworthy species include the Ruddy
shelduck, Indian courser, Narcondam hornbill, and Nicobar megapode.
Identified
Threats to Bird Species:
●
The report underscores threats
encompassing forest degradation, urbanization, energy infrastructure.
●
Birds are highly impacted by environmental
pollutants like Nimesulide affecting vulture populations, climate change's
impacts on migratory species, avian diseases, and illegal hunting and trade.