Vultures: What ails them?

There about five species of vultures in India. Three of which are said to be critically endangered. These are the oriental white-backed vulture (Gyps bengalensis), long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus) and the slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostris). Two other species - the red-headed vulture (Sarcogyps calvushave) and the Egyptian vulture (Neophron percnopterus). The vulture population has declined by close to 99% in the last 20 years.

Why vultures are becoming extinct?

1) Diclofelnac

The main reason for the sudden and dramatic decline in vulture population is due to use of vertinary drug called as Dicloflenac. This is used in cattle as a pain reliever. Diclofenac is particularly lethal to vultures as it gets into vultures body when it consumes the carcasses of dead cattle which has been injected with diclofenac within 72 hours of its death. The Vultures stomachs are unable to breakdown this drug and it causes kidney failures and ultimately their death. In some cases, it affects their ability to reproduce. Since March 2005, the drug has been banned for vertinary use in India. However, it continues to be used as verterians use a human form of this drug on cattle. Another Non-steroidal anti inflammatory drug (NSAID), meloxicam, has been found to be harmless to vultures and should prove to be an acceptable substitute for diclofenac. When meloxicam production is increased, it is hoped that it will be as cheap as diclofenac. Another NSAID, Ketoprofen & aceclofenac has been proved equally dangerous for vultures but awareness regarding this hasn't yet increased.

2) Poisoning:

 In some cases, farmers wanting to protect their cattle from attacks from wild animals like tigers, lions, cheetahs and leopards, poison meat. The cats which feed on them die and the vultures which feed on the poisoned meat or the cat which died because of consuming poisoned meat also die as a result.

3) Starvation:

 Another reason for decline in Vulture population near villages and towns is Starvation. Villagers previously used to discard dead cattle at the edges of their villages are now selling the dead cattle to butchers for meat. Vultures which previously depended on dead meat for their subsistence are finding it increasingly hard to find food.

4) Wind turbines:

Wind turbines, heralded as an alternative source of power, has a dangerous side to it. It has been observed by ornithologists that Wind turbines can decapitate and slice vultures into two.

Other causes:

• Electrocution
• Malaria
• pesticides
• lack of nesting trees
• Pardhi community in Maharashtra (called as Wagris in Gujarat) eats vultures. They catch whole flocks and devour them.

Why vultures are important?

1) Decomposing of dead bodies in the wild take anywhere from 3 to 4 times longer in the absence of vultures
2) Decline of vultures contributes to raise of diseases like anthrax, rabies as feral dogs and crows take place of vultures when vultures drastically decline.

Further reading:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_vulture_crisis

http://www.ted.com/talks/munir_virani_why_i_love_vultures.html

http://cameronmccormick.blogspot.in/2009/07/on-importance-of-vultures.html

http://indiasendangered.com/six-reasons-why-vultures-may-be-dying-in-india/

http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-25963100

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20007163

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/environment/flora-fauna/Vulture-numbers-rise-up-for-first-time-in-20-years-study-shows/articleshow/17187819.cms

http://www.nature.com/news/the-trouble-with-turbines-an-ill-wind-1.10849

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3437583.stm

What ails the sparrow?

In the recent years, the common house sparrow, for unfortunate reasons, has become a flagship case for the bird conservation in India. The sparrows populations have declined in such alarming levels that most lay people are now acknowledging it. The once ubiquitous bird is now scarcely seen. The most alarming part about it is that nobody is really able to conclusively say why they are disappearing at such an alarming rate.

well, several reasons are being thrown about. Here are a few:

1. Use of pesticides in house compounds,
2. Lack of nesting sites due to the increasing number of concrete structures in urban areas
3. Absence of grains
4. Unavailability of water in summer months
5. Anecdotal evidence also points to the reduction of sparrow population close to
1. Mobile towers
2. Mast lamps 
6. Over-Hunting by humans who use it for mean and there is also a unfounded belief that the sparrow meat can increases the virility of men.

This blog post was written with the help of these article from "The Hindu" news paper articles whose links are given below

• Where are the sparrows?
• Where have all the sparrows gone?
• Sparrow meat, a delicacy in Karur bars

Documentary film on Chilika Lake in Odisha

Wildlife photographer and filmmaker, Mr. Shekar Dattatri has made an excellent documentary on Chilika lake restoration project carried out in early 2000's and the present challenges it faces. Play the video below.




Reference:
http://www.conservationindia.org/
http://www.conservationindia.org/videos/chilika
http://www.thehindu.com/features/metroplus/hope-flows/article5750023.ece

What should we do as individuals to conserve birds?

When talking about conservation, most people talk of it as something that they urge Government to do and absolve themselves of any responsibility in conservation of birds. However, there is a lot of things that individuals can do to help conserve birds. I have tried to list out a few things and I intend to expand the list as my knowledge also grows.

• Place a bowl of water outside for water. This is the simplest and most effective way people can help to save birds. Birds, particularly those living in cities and towns, find it very difficult to locate a source of water. However, one precaution you need to take while doing this is to make sure waterfowl  should be hung down or should be placed in such a way that cats can't access it to prey upon unsuspecting birds.
• Place a nest box with grains. This is yet another simple way to help birds. In fact, one of the reasons for decline in sparrow population is the inability of birds to find grains and also its inability to build nests in concrete structure which are devoid of niches and crevices previously found in tiled roof houses.
• Plant trees. Trees are essential as nesting, perching  and roosting grounds for a wide variety of bird species while also providing food by way of flowers, insects and fruits. It is also essentials to select the type of trees which are suitable for planting. Neermarathu (Terminalia arjuna or arjuna tree), Naaval (Syzygium cumini or Java plum or Jambul), and Aththi, (Ficus auriculata Lour or Elephant Ear Fig tree or Gaint Indian Fig)
• Avoid bursting crackers. Birds are very disturbed by sudden and loud noises and many abandon their nests and young ones if they are hear such noises.
• Avoid cats as pets. Feral cats which are pets or those which are abandoned, predate on the nests of many birds by destroying their eggs and eating their young chicks and in many cases preying on birds themselves. It is best to avoid cats as pets.
• Avoid caged birds. Many of the caged birds we use as pests have been hunted in the wild. Birds which are ubiquitous commonly called love birds are nothing but budgerigars of Australia. Macaws are also being overhunted in south America as they are very popular as pets world wide.

Critically endangered bird species in India

From about 1300 odd of birds found in India, approximately 82 species have been listed as threatened in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals (IUCN 2006). Given below is a list of the most endangered bird species of India, some of which are in a highly critical state:

• Pink-headed Duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea)
• Himalayan Quail (Ophrysia superciliosa)
• Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus)
• Sarus Crane (Grus antigone)
• Jerdon's Courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus)
• Forest Owlet (Athene blewitti)
• White-bellied Heron (Ardea insignis)
• Oriental Stork (Ciconia boyciana)
• Greater Adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius)
• White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala)
• White-winged Duck (Cairina scutulata)
• Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps)
• Bengal Florican (Houbaropsis bengalensis)
• Lesser Florican (Sypheotides indica)
• Nordmann's Greenshank (Tringa guttifer)
• Rufous-breasted Laughingthr (Garrulax cachinnans)
• Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus)
• White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis)
• Long-billed Vulture (Gyps indicus)

Photo courtesy: www.kolkatabirds.com
Information courtesy: http://www.iucnredlist.org/

How are birds becoming endangered?

A species becomes extinct or endangered because of any one or a combination of five human activities:

1. Over-harvesting
2. Introduction of Invasive species
3. Loss of habitat
4. Islandisation
5. Pollution

Over harvesting:

Over harvesting refers to the hunting of a species in a sustained manner beyond the natural regenerative capacity of the species. A recent case in point is the hunting of the Houbara bustard, a desert bird by the Arab royalty and sheiks. They believe that the bird is a aphrodisiac. The bird population has really declined alarmingly. A team of researchers found that, from 1998 to 2001, Houbara numbers dropped 63% in China, 60% in Kazakhstan, and 50% in Oman.

Introduction of Invasive species:

Some species of birds and animals become endangered and eventually become extinct when humans unintentionally introduce invasive species in their habitats. Island birds are particularly prone to this problem. After living and thriving on Islands without any natural enemies, some species of birds loose their capacity of flight. Over thousands of years, they also loose their fear of predators. Most of them nest in conspicuous locations. When humans arrive on the island, they unintentionally introduces mammals like mice, cats, monkeys and dogs. These animals hunt these defenceless birds and consume their eggs in such great numbers that after a point, it becomes difficult to save a species from brink of extinction. The dodos of Mauritius, the Moas & Kheas of Newzealand are all cases in point.

Loss of Habitat:

Most birds are dependant on the environment for their sustenance either for their food, finding mates, building of their nests and raising of their young. When the environment is disturbed in some manner, birds become threated as a consequence. In the recent years, many of the wetlands have been destroyed to make way for construction projects. Many forests have been felled to make way for agricultural lands. The great Indian bustard is endangered because of the decline in the extent of grasslands. It is also the case with Indian courser.

Islandisation:

This refers to the creation of islands or pockets of forests, wetlands in previously continuous stretches of habitats. Creating Islands is a big threat to birds because the populations become increasingly isolated from one another and in a drought year, one population can get completely destroyed in one area without being replenished from another. A simple act of laying a road across a forest can serve to create islands. Ant-eaters  in Brazil used to flying in the dark canopy do not cross over to the other side of the road and become increasingly isolated.


Pollution:

Many water bodies become the dumping ground for construction debris. The water bodies are also places where sewage water is let into. Many industries use rivers and lakes to dump their waste chemicals. These chemicals are extremely toxic to all forms of life and kills the fish, amphibians and other aquatic species. They also poison the birds which depend on the aquatic life for food. On a much larger scale, human activity causes global warming which increases the global temperatures that change some environments to such an extant that many species including plants shift their locations to a temperature zone that they are accustomed to and with it the birds. Sometimes it becomes difficult or impossible for forests to advance because of the cities, villages and towns which infringe upon them.

Why are birds important?

For a conservation point of view, it is important to understand why birds are important in order to understand why it is imperative to conserve and protect them.

Birds are important for the following reasons:

1. They help propagate tress, shrubs and plants by distributing pollen and seeds
2. They keep in check insect & rodent populations which plunder agricultural crops (Locusts are kept in check by starlings. Rats and mice populations are kept in check by hawks and owls)
3. They keep the countryside clear of debris and also of carcasses by scavenging on them (Crows and vultures)
4. They are a valuable source of fertilizer (Fish eating birds produce a fertilizer called 'Guano' which is very valuable)
5. Birds have an aesthetic value
6. They act as gauges of the pollution levels in our water bodies.
7. The study of birds and their flight has lead to the discovery of Aeroplanes and helicopters