The “State of India’s Birds 2023” report highlights alarming trends in the long-term status of bird species across the country.
Background:
- Initiative: The State of India’s Birds Report started in 2020, aligning India with countries regularly assessing their bird species’ status.
- Previous Report: The State of India’s Birds 2020 report evaluated 867 species and identified 101 species as high conservation concerns within India, including 34 not globally considered threatened by the IUCN Red List.
The report underscores the urgency for focused conservation efforts to safeguard vulnerable bird species facing multifaceted threats across India.
Key Findings:
Declining Trends
The study analyzed the long-term patterns of 342 bird species, revealing that a staggering 60% of these species have experienced declines.
Widespread Declines
Overall assessment covering 942 bird species in India points out that 39% of the species have shown clear declines over the past decades.
Threats
The report emphasizes eight significant threats faced by birds, including forest degradation, avian diseases, and the impact of climate change.
Habitat Specialization
Species with specific habitat preferences, such as the Great Indian Bustard and Arctic-breeding shorebirds, have been severely affected, with declines observed in their populations.
Vulnerable Groups
Insectivorous birds, raptors, vultures, and migratory birds are identified as particularly vulnerable due to various challenges like extreme weather events, illegal hunting, and predation.
Conservation Priorities
The report categorizes the 942 species into three conservation priority groups, with 178 identified as high-priority species requiring immediate attention.
Stable or Thriving Species
Certain generalist species like the Indian peafowl and Asian koel, not highly dependent on specific habitats, have shown stability or even growth in their numbers.
Report highlighted eight major threats:
- Monocultures;
- Environmental pollutants;
- Forest degradation;
- Urbanisation;
- Energy infrastructure (wind energy and power lines);
- Avian disease;
- Illegal hunting and trade; and
- Climate change
| About State of India’s Birds Report 2020 |
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| State of India’s Birds Report: In 2020, India joined the set of countries that regularly assess the status of their birds, with the launch of the first report on the State of India’s Birds at the Conference of Parties to the Convention on Migratory Species in Gandhinagar.State of India’s Birds 2020 assessed 867 species out of the roughly 1,200 species that regularly occur in India, and classified 101 species as being of high conservation concern in India that include 34 species which are not considered globally threatened by the IUCN Red List. |
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