mistnet oct-dec 2013 final -...

EditorAsad R. Rahmani, Director, BNHS

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Consultant EditorGayatri W. Ugra

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Conservation of nature, primarily biologicaldiversity, through action, based on research,

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Assistant EditorRaju Kasambe, Project Manager, IBA-IBCN

CONTENTSGrassland Birds of theBrahmaputra Valley ofAssam

Chaglagam-Denning-Walong: Arunachal’swild east

The saga of Gangapur(Nashik), an ImportantBird Area

Recent sight records ofthe European Roller inMaharashtra

Breeding colony of RiverTern on manmadeconstruction in theDeccan Plateau,Maharashtra

The Bristled GrassbirdChaetornis striata in Masa,Akola, Maharashtra

– Mridu Paban Phukan,Alison Phillip, andPeadar O’Connell

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– Kaustubh A. Pandharipande

– Raju Kasambe, Siddhesh Surve,and Noor Khan

– Bishwarup Raha

– Anwaruddin Choudhury

– Sujit Narwade andKamlakar Fartade

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3MISTNET Vol. 14 No. 4 October-December 2013

Research-based conservation action onthreatened species

India is among the top ten countries with the highest number of threatened bird species – not anenviable position indeed. On top of that, there are insufficient wildlife research-based

conservation actions. With more than 600 Protected Areas (many protected only on paper) and466 IBAs, we would presume that all is well as far as bird conservation is concerned. The fact isthat we do not know the changing status of most bird species. There is still no long-term monitoringeven of globally Threatened species. Whenever we ask for research funds, suddenly they becomescarce. While the glamorous big carnivore literally takes the lion’s share of MoEF funding,corporates are only interested in high-profile projects that gives them media attention: tree plantationin a grassland, or much-publicised school visits, or a highly dubious gobar gas plant in a poorvillage gets more newspaper space than a project on threatened Black-breasted Parrortbill orfunds for feeding vultures in a conservation breeding centre. A few lakh rupees each year can save20–25 chicks of Endangered Greater Adjutant that fall from nests. At times, a poor villager inBihar and Assam with an annual income of less than one lakh rupees shows more charity byfeeding chicks fallen from their nests, than a large corporate that pretends to be interested inbiodiversity conservation.

A lot of people presume that BNHS, being a large and well-known organization, would nothave a problem getting funds, but the fact is that we face as much challenge in fund raising as anynational or international conservation organization. With a Red List of 154 globally Threatenedand Near Threatened bird species in India, and many non-listed species that need research-basedconservation action, we need hundreds of crores in special funds. We also need to develop ourhuman resources to take up conservation-oriented projects and long-term programmes.

Among the top priority areas for bird research and conservation are the Terai and Brahmaputragrasslands, islands of Andaman and Nicobar, northern Western Ghats, Eastern Ghats, mudflatsand coasts. Some of the threatened species that urgently need research are Manipur Bush-quail,Nicobar Megapode, Wood Snipe, Pallas’s Fish-eagle, Grey-crowned Prinia, Long-billed Bush-warbler, Yellow Weaver, and White-throated Bushchat.

Unfortunately these days, many so-called field researchers are only interested in e-research atcomputer workstations, and making models based on just a few days of field work. True species-oriented field researchers are becoming an extinct species! Is there anyone who would be interestedin finding out the status of Manipur Bush-quail that was last sighted authentically in 1935, withone sight record in 2006 from Manas in Assam? Is there anyone interested in finding out the statusof Grey-crowned Prinia, a small bird of c. 11 cm that is discontinuously distributed along thebase of the Himalaya (bhabhar, dun, and terai) from Uttarakhand through Nepal, northern WestBengal, Sikkim to Bhutan, from the plains up to 1,350 msl. A lot of field work will be requiredwhich the new generation of so-called field researchers may not want to take up as field researchis not glamorous.

Not only for globally Threatened species identified by BirdLife International for IUCN, weneed more field research for the so-called ‘common species’ as they are not common anymore. Iam sure that if someone takes up a project on dry grassland bird species, he/she will find that theIndian Courser and the Yellow-wattled Lapwing need to be included in the Red List. During thelast 30 odd years, I have seen massive changes in their habitat that is written off as “wasteland”.Like the mudflats, these so-called wastelands are up for grabs by various industries, thanks to ourgovernment’s policies which do not look beyond forests as essential natural habitats.Is there anyone who would take up the cause of these neglected species?

Asad R. Rahmani

MISTNET Vol. 14 No. 4 October-December 20134

Mridu Paban Phukan, Alison Phillip, andPeadar O’Connell

IntroductionThe Brahmaputra valley in Assam is dominated by

the mighty 2,900 km river from which it is named.Medium to tall grasslands are among the primary naturalhabitats in this area. Many of the grasslands have beenidentified as Important Bird Areas (IBAs), a BirdLifeInternational designation aimed at identifying andprotecting the most important bird sites around the world(Islam & Rahmani 2004). However, IBAs presently donot have protection in India, apart from those which fallwithin nationally protected sites such as national parksand wildlife sanctuaries. Grassland habitats within theBrahmaputra valley have undergone severe deteriorationand fragmentation over the past few decades and areunder ever increasing pressure (Rahmani 2003). Anumber of important bird species rely on these grasslandsand many appear to be undergoing concurrent declines(Rahmani 2012). BirdLife International has identifiedmany bird species as threatened under IUCN criteria.These include the Critically Endangered Bengal FloricanHoubaropsis bengalensis, Vulnerable Black-breastedParrotbill Paradoxornis flavirostris, and Marsh Babbler

Grassland Birds of theBrahmaputra Valley of Assam

Pellorneum palustre, as well as many other notablegrassland specialists (BirdLife International 2013).

The aim of the survey was to visit grassland IBAs, andto locate any other suitable remaining grassland habitatalong the Brahmaputra, to assess habitat condition andrecord the presence of particular species of grassland birdsin order to determine their status, to inform futureconservation efforts.

Study SitesThe study was restricted to the Brahmaputra river

valley in Assam, visiting identified grassland IBAsites and other grassland habitats both in protected areasincluding Dibru-Saikhowa National Park, Kaziranga NP,Manas NP, Orang NP, Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary,and unprotected sites in Majuli, North Lakhimpur,Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, and Nagaon districts.

MethodologyOutside of protected areas, surveys of all grassland

habitat present within IBAs were covered on foot, using

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Typical tall grassland near the Lohit river

Black-breasted Parrotbill

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Jerdon’s Babbler



call playback to locate grassland bird species. Only callsof Swamp Francolin Francolinus gularis, Marsh Babbler,Jerdon’s Babbler Chrysomma altirostre, Slender-billedBabbler Turdoides longirostris, Black-breasted Parrotbill,and Bristled Grassbird Chaetornis striata were available.All bird species responding to the call playback, and sightedduring the survey, were identified and recorded. Effort wasmade to photograph species where possible. Withinprotected areas the survey was restricted to frequent stopsalong the tracks within tourist zones, recording all speciesseen and heard from the vehicle. Due to prohibitive costs,survey from elephant back was conducted on one morningonly in Kaziranga National Park. The survey took placefrom February 5, 2013 till March 1, 2013.

Target species were identified as those categorised asNear Threatened, Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, orCritically Endangered under IUCN criteria (BirdLifeInternational 2013). The species listed as Vulnerable wereSwamp Francolin, Marsh Babbler, Jerdon’s Babbler,Slender-billed Babbler, Black-breasted Parrotbill, BristledGrassbird, White-throated Bushchat Saxicola insignis,Grey-crowned Prinia Prinia cinereocapilla; Endangeredspecies was Manipur Bush-quail Perdicula manipurensis;and Near Threatened was Rufous-rumped GrassbirdGraminicola bengalensis.

ResultsNineteen sites were visited over a 26-day period. Eleven

of the sites were found to contain at least one priority

grassland bird species. Many of the grasslands that had beenreported in the recent past were no longer present or hadbecome highly degraded, fragmented, and/or disturbed.Table 1 gives an overview of the sites surveyed and globallythreatened species recorded.

DiscussionEight of the target species identified were found during

the survey. They are shy, skulking birds, often dull in colour.This survey undoubtedly under-recorded the numbers ofbirds within the grasslands visited and it is possible thatsome species were not picked up by the survey methodology.The condition of the grasslands we surveyed, however, wasmuch easier to assess.

Many of the grassland habitats that were identified inthe last IBA assessment in Assam in 2003 are heavilydegraded or in some cases have disappeared entirely.Throughout the survey period a number of threats wereobserved in the remaining areas of grassland. The impactsof overgrazing by livestock, conversion to agriculture andarable land, and illegal thatch collection, all culminating indirect habitat loss, were commonly encountered. Some ofthe best remaining grasslands are under threat from humanencroachment and indifferent management. It was alsoapparent that invasive species are having a significantimpact. Changes in the river course and sedimentation haveheavily impacted some of the grasslands, particularly in theeast. Proposed dam projects in neighbouring states andChina could also cause enormous stress to the remaining

Commercial extraction from riverine grasslands has disturbed bird habitats

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Table 1. Overview of Sites Surveyed and Target Species Recorded

S. No. Location Designation Globally Threatened Species Habitat ConditionRecorded

1 Pani Dihing Wildlife Sanctuary IBA Swamp Francolin, Marsh Babbler, Areas of good quality tall grassland exist,Jerdon’s Babbler although becoming fragmented and

degraded2 Daisajan/Kardoiguri ND Black-breasted Parrotbill, Good quality tall grassland present

Jerdon’s Babbler3 Sadiya Ghat (Masaldari Chapori) ND Bengal Florican (Male) Most grassland lost to cultivation, very

small pockets of medium height (1–3m)remain

4 Dibru-Saikhowa National Park NP, IBA Jerdon’s Babbler Good quality tall grassland present5 Maguri Beel (wetland) IBA Marsh Babbler, Jerdon’s Babbler Good quality tall grassland present6 Mohana Ghat/Bogi Beel - Dibrugarh ND Swamp Francolin Most grassland lost to cultivation, small

area of tall grassland remains7 Dolonikur, Raigon ND None recorded No suitable habitat remains

(near Khowang, Dibrugarh)8 Jogi Pathar - Majuli IBA Marsh Babbler, Swamp Francolin Small patches of good quality tall

grassland remain9 Puruna Lahkar - Majuli IBA None recorded No suitable habitat remains10 Kamalabari, Bamunigaon IBA None recorded Large area of formerly medium

(near Ferry Ghat) - Majuli height grassland, now severelydegraded.

11 Bhakat Chapori - Majuli IBA None recorded Very small area of medium height(1–3 m) grassland remains

12 Gopal Chapori - Majuli IBA None recorded Large area of formerly medium height grassland, now degraded.

13 Aatuwa Chapori/Jamaguri N/A Bengal Florican (female) Large area of formerly medium heightChapori, Jamaguri Ghat grassland, now degraded. (North Lakhimpur)

14 Burhachapori WLS, IBA Swamp Francolin Good quality areas of medium heightgrassland surrounded by woodland

15 Maker Tapu (Island), Burhachapori WLS, IBA None recorded Large area of 1–3 m grassland.Isolation an issue?

16 Kaziranga National Park Central NP, IBA Swamp Francolin, Good quality habitat within central andSlender-billed Babbler, western rangeJerdon’s Babbler

17 Orang National Park NP, IBA None recorded Large areas of good quality grassland,however no access to thesein tourist areas

18 Manas NP NP, IBA Swamp Francolin, Large areas of good quality grassland inSlender-billed Babbler, Bhunyapara Range area, woodlandJerdon’s Babbler, encroaching in Bansbari Range area.Rufous-rumped Grassbird

19 Deobali Jalah IBA None recorded Large areas of good quality grassland,needs repeat visit

NP = National Park, WLS = Wildlife Sanctuary, IBA = Important Bird Area, ND = Not designated

habitats. While there were many causes for concern, thesurvey team were encouraged by the assistance of localcommunities and their interest in what we were trying toachieve. It was clear that these communities recognise thatgrassland habitats and the species they support are in decline.

The Brahmaputra valley is one of the most importantareas in India for grassland birds. A large number of highlythreatened and near endemic species have their strongholdshere. If allowed to continue, the loss and degradation of

grassland habitat will spell the end for some of these. Wefound that there are a few remaining grassland habitats ingood condition. An increasing human population and itsneed for more land and resources have resulted in adramatic decline in the amount of grassland habitatavailable. It is our opinion that a long-term plan for themanagement of these habitats is required to ensure thatthey and the species and communities which depend uponthem do not disappear.



Community programmes to encourage the sustainableuse of these grasslands would be of enormous benefit, andshould be conducted in conjunction with relevantstakeholders. In-depth research on the ecology of grasslandbirds and regular monitoring would ensure that a strategyfor their protection is developed. Finally, although the

situation for grassland birds and their habitats along theBrahmaputra river in Assam is sobering, it is not too late tomend. There are highly committed and experiencedecologists within Assam who we were fortunate to meetand who could do this work. We would like to thank allthose who helped us with their excellent advice, suggestions,and in many cases directions.

ReferencesBirdLife International (2013) Birds on the IUCN Red List: http:/

/www.birdlife.org/. Accessed on 29/12/2013.Islam, M.Z. and Rahmani, A.R. (2004) Important Bird Areas in

India: Priority Sites for Conservation. Indian BirdConservation Network: Bombay Natural History Societyand BirdLife International (UK). Pp. xviii + 1133.

Rahmani, A.R (2003) Conservation outside of Protected Areas;Case-study of Bustard Protection. In: Saberwal, V. &Rangarajan, M. (Eds) Battles over Nature, Science and thePolitics of Conservation. Permanent Black, Delhi.

Rahmani, A.R. (2012) Threatened Birds of India: TheirConservation Requirements. Indian Bird ConservationNetwork: Bombay Natural History Society, Royal Societyfor the Protection of Birds and BirdLife International.Oxford University Press Pp. xvi + 864.

Contact:Mridupaban Phukan Email: [email protected] Phillip Email: [email protected] O’ Connell Email: [email protected]

Grassland converted to crop cultivation robs birds of their natural habitats

Peadar O’ Connell and Alison Phillip in Orang National Park

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9

Anwaruddin Choudhury

If any Important Bird Area (IBA)in India resembles the wild west ofAmerica, it is this IBA in far easternArunachal Pradesh. Walong, theeastern end of this IBA, is ‘ranch’ likecountry with large tracts of pine andgrassy downs dotted with little hamletshousing only a few families rather thantrue villages. The Sumatran Pine Pinusmerkusii can be seen only in this tract.The local tribe, a Buddhist Tibetangroup called Meyors, lives in a smalltract extending from Walong toKibithu, on the India-China border. Itis at Kibuthu that the Lohit river entersIndia, forming a beautiful valley.Chaglagam, on the other hand, is in thewestern side of this IBA. It has typicalhigh mountain terrain with snow-capped peaks and lush green temperateforests on the slopes. The maininhabitants of Chaglagam are theMishmis.

This IBA is located in two districts,Lohit and Anjaw, in far easternArunachal Pradesh, and forms part ofthe Mishmi Hills. It has Tibet (Xizang)all along its northern boundary. Thislarge IBA supports significantpopulations of Takin Budorcastaxicolor, Serow Capricornis thar, andRed Goral Naemorhedus baileyi. TigerPanthera tigris are rare, but LeopardPanthera pardus and Clouded LeopardNeofelis nebulosa are still notuncommon. The Dhole Cuon alpinusoften becomes a pest as it killsdomestic livestock. The presence ofLeaf Deer Muntiacus putaoensis andGongshan Muntjac Muntiacusgongshanensis has increased theimportance of the area. Asian Black

Bear Ursus thibetanus and Musk DeerMoschus cupreus are poached for tradeof their body parts. The booty oftentravels through Hayuliang to Tinsukiaenroute to its final destinations. Whilethe actual killing is done by localhunters, it is businessmen fromRajasthan who actually take it out fromHayuliang. Hence, to check poaching,nabbing the village hunters is nosolution – the actual traders need to bebooked also.

The exciting birdlife in this tract hasGalliformes at its best in India. Twospecies of monals, ImpeyanLophophorus impejanus and Sclater’sL. sclateri; two species of tragopans,Blyth’s Tragopan blythii andTemminck’s T. temminckii; BloodPheasant Ithaginis cruentus, HillPartridges Arborophila spp., andKaleej Pheasant Lophuraleucomelanos, among others, abounddespite regular snaring and shooting.Walong was considered outside the

Chaglagam-Denning-Walong:Arunachal’s wild east

range of the Impeyan Monal till thekilling of a few in 2008 proved a caseof range extension. The Rufous-neckedHornbill Aceros nipalensis is seen inthe foothills between Denning andChaglagam. At Kibithu, on November29, 2008 I saw a flock of five or sixparakeets, which seemed like LordDerby’s Parakeet Psittacula derbianathrough binoculars from a distance, butbefore I could get closer they vanished.It may be mentioned here that the onlyrecords of this parakeet in India arerestricted to this tract. An interestingbird of the area is Godlewski’s BuntingEmberiza godlewskii, which is knownin India only from two areas: thepresent IBA and one site innorthwestern Arunachal Pradesh. Oneis unlikely to miss this bunting on themain road between Walong andKibithu, feeding on the road or by theside of it in small flocks, as I hadobserved in 2008. In the same year, athird locality was found between Tezu

Walong Kibithu road with Sumatran Pine seen on both sides

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and Hayuliang where I saw one. It maynot be a threatened species but anoteworthy one for the Indiansubcontinent, being known only from asmall area. The third rarity I observed

in 2008 was the Black-headedGreenfinch Carduelis ambigua. A partywas seen between Walong and Kibithunear the main road. This species is alsoknown only from eastern ArunachalPradesh, with a handful of records.

The commoner birds were every-where. On the Lohit river, there were theGreat Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo,Common Merganser Mergus merganser,Brown Dipper Cinclus pallasii,Plumbeous Water-redstart Rhyacornisfuliginosa, White-capped River-chatChaimarrornis leucocephalus, SpottedForktail Enicurus maculatus, and LittleForktail E. scouleri.

Come autumn and spring, the Lohitriver gorge becomes vibrant day andnight with bird calls as it is one of thekey flyways for migratory birds tonortheastern India. Waders, ducks andgeese, raptors, and small passerines alluse the route either as winter visitors oras passage migrants.

There are several small government

Inspection Bungalows at Hayuliang,Walong, and Kibithu, and one underconstruction at Chaglagam. A largetourist complex with lodges andresorts is also coming up near Walong.The road from Tinsukia to Hayuliangvia Wakro and Parshuramkund (NH52) is black-topped and with thebridge on the Lohit river complete,travelling is generally smooth. Theroad from Hayuliang to Wakro andKibithu is also black-topped andreasonably good, but the roadconnecting Chaglagam is stilltreacherous, narrow at places withoccasional rocks falling from high up!The nearest airport is at Dibrugarh(Mohanbari) in Assam which links upwith the major cities of India.

This IBA is so large that it needs tobe split into two or even three separateIBAs for better management. The mainconservation issues here are killing ofbirds, especially galliforms, and theimpending construction of several largedams on the main Lohit river as well ason its tributaries such as the Delai river.Birds are mostly killed for the pot;however, many are also sold in thevillages as meat. In the case of dams,besides direct submergence of largeareas, the presence of large numbers oflabourers needs serious attention. Thelabourers who are engaged in theconstruction of border roads are alreadykilling birds with snares and slingshot,which has become their main pastime.Like several other IBAs of theNortheast, community participation inconservation should be encouraged anda massive awareness campaign shouldbe carried out in the villages as well asamong the construction officials andlabourers.

Contact:Anwaruddin ChoudhuryHouse No. 7, Near Gate No. 1Nehru Stadium, Islampur RoadGuwahati 781007, AssamEmail: [email protected]

Godlewski’s Bunting feeding on the ground

Author with a Meyor lady

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10 11MISTNET Vol. 14 No. 4 October-December 2013

Gangapur Dam is situated 16 km from Nashik city,Maharashtra. It was constructed in 1956–57 tosupply drinking water to Nashik. The area around

the reservoir is undulating grassland with patches ofagricultural fields. Gangapur Dam is a large freshwater bodysurrounded by grasslands, where large congregations ofbirds, sometimes over 20,000, are seen during winter(October–March). A total of 210 bird species have beenrecorded, of which six are listed as threatened (BirdLifeInternational 2013).Critically Endangered

White-rumped Vulture Gyps bengalensisIndian Vulture Gyps indicus

EndangeredLesser Florican Sypheotides indicus

VulnerableLesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropusEastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliacaLesser Kestrel Falco naumanni

The congregation of ducks here, Common PochardAythya ferina is over 10,000, Little Cormorant Microcarboniger more than 2,000 which is 1% population threshold ofthis bird. Some species not recorded elsewhere inMaharashtra have been seen at the dam regularly over thelast five years, such as Black-necked Grebe Podicepsnigricollis, Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna, and otherbirds like Greylag Goose Anser anser. Gangapur’s beautyand habitats not only attract birds but also nature lovers.

Till a few years ago, Gangapur was a paradise in itself.This very attribute is responsible for the trouble inGangapur. In December 2012, MTDC (MaharashtraTourism Development Corporation) proposed a boating cluband water sports centre in the backwaters of Gangapur dam.MTDC’s main aim was to attract foreign tourists who comein large numbers to the Sula and York winery nearby. Theymay not have realised that were doing nothing but layingthe foundation for destruction of the habitats of residentand migratory birds, some of which are globally threatened.

Bishwarup Raha

The saga of Gangapur (Nashik),an Important Bird Area

Greater Flamingos sighted at Gangapur

A D V O C A C Y FOR C O N S E R V A T I O N

The boat club intended to use high-speed power boats andscooters, resulting in frequent, untimely, and huge wavesdisturbing the wetland birds and their nests.

When green activists got this news they were horrified.Naturalists demanded an immediate halt to this plan. Theauthor and his NGO Nature Conservation Society of Nashik(NCSN) made every effort to stop this destructive plan.NCSN immediately informed the press and sent registeredletters to the Forest Department, Public Works Department(PWD), Tourism Ministry, and Ministry of Environmenton December 12, 2012. But it was a futile attempt as NCSNhardly got any response, and also succeeded in antagonisingMTDC. To add to our dismay the desilting projectsundertaken, instead of desilting, were caught diggingmurum and stones from the nearby land under the pretextof desilting. NCSN then requested Dr. Asad Rahmani,Director, BNHS to take up the matter with MTDC.Consequently, BNHS wrote a letter on January 18, 2013to the Ministry of Tourism, Maharashtra Government andasked them to call a meeting and appeal to Shri ChhaganBhujbal. NCSN had also obtained shocking informationfrom an insider that the project had violated the lawconcerning construction on wetland. Gangapur Dam fallsunder A-I category. Hence in the stretch from the source ofthe River Godavari till Gangapur Dam, A-I category ruleshave to be followed. According to the Environment Indian Cormorant seen at Gangapur

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Birdwatching near Gangapur Dam

A D V O C A C Y FOR C O N S E R V A T I O N

Department, no construction is allowed for a distance of500 m on both sides of the floodgates, whereas the distanceof the boating club from the floodgates was less than 500 m.

The persistent failure to respond and asleep-on-the-jobattitude of the government dismayed NCSN. It looked likethe dysfunctional department had no control over its ownpeople. The dwellers of Girnare, a nearby village also passeda theherav (stay) on January 26, 2013 for stopping the clubactivity altogether. Then NCSN took to newspapers as itslast resort. Divya Marathi newspaper extended full supportto the cause. It continuously published articles and picturesto create awareness. It did its best and so did NCSN, butthere seemed to be a standstill till suddenly about eightmonths later a ruling appeared in Times of India on September 28, 2013 saying that any construction onwetlands is banned. The Bombay High Court directed theUrban Development Secretary to issue a circular to all civicbodies in the state, declaring a ban on construction activityon wetlands which figure in the central government’s map.This was issued due to the efforts of a Mumbai-based NGOVanashakti. NCSN immediately contacted Mr. Stalin,

Director of Vanashakti, who acted with spontaneity. Effortsproved fruitful and RTIs were filed.

Finally the concerned authorities and Member ofParliament (MP) Shri Sameer Bhujbal were persuaded thatit was a legal issue, and they insisted that NCSN membersshould meet them to discuss the issue on an urgent basis. Inthe meeting, the MP agreed to make all the necessaryamendments so as to keep the bird habitat undisturbed. Healso agreed to all the terms put forth by NCSN to protectthe environment as follows:

1. Demarcating the boundaries for boating.2. Enough gap to be maintained between the sporting

areas and roosting and nesting sites.3. Power driven boats not to be used.4. NCSN supervision to be mandatory while earmarking

the exact location where birds congregate and whileproviding boating facility.

5. A bird gallery and watch tower for birdwatching to bemade.

And this is how a year-long fight bore fruit. EventuallyNCSN won the battle to save the defenceless wingedvisitors. In the entire struggle it was clear that inspite ofnational and international bodies declaring our land as anImportant Bird Area, no steps have been taken to makenational level laws for safeguarding such areas. Unless ourcountry takes deliberate steps to implement IBA laws allover India, NGOs like NCSN and Vanashakti will wasteyears fighting when they could have undertaken bigger andbetter green tasks.

Contact:Bishwarup RahaPresident, Nature Conservation Society of Nashik13, Hemant Vihar, Veer Savarkar NagarNashik 422013, Maharashtra

The author explaining to Member of Parliament Shri SameerBhujbal the ill effect that will be created for birds by developing

a boating club

Boating Club under construction at Gangapur

Illegal murum (clay, stones) excavation

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The European Roller Coraciasgarrulus is a threatened speciesand is listed as Near Threatened

by BirdLife International. According toBirdLife, this species has apparentlyundergone a moderately rapid declineacross its global range (BirdLifeInternational 2013). We tried to studythe distribution of the species inMaharashtra to assess its status.Information about its sight recordswas requested from various birdforums and data was searchedon www.migrantwatch.in andwww.indiaturewatch.net websites. Wegot a good response and manyunreported records were provided bybirders. Here we provide a list of thesight records of the species. EuropeanRoller is considered a passage migrantbecause it is sighted from September toNovember in Maharashtra. It has beensighted in Vidarbha, Khandesh, andwestern Maharashtra. We did not getany reports from the Marathwada

region, possibly due to fewerbirdwatchers in the area.

Previous records in MaharashtraPittie (1998) reported sighting three

birds on September 16, 1998 atGangapur dam, Nashik district. Thereare sight records of the species fromDhule: it is mentioned as common inwinter by Vyawahare (1992). It wasfound from about the middle of Augustuntil October (Davidson 1886), andone bird was sighted in September1880 (Davidson 1882). One bird wassighted at Ambazari lake from June 5–10, 2005 by Kelkar (2006).

Up to 30 birds were sighted atPurandar, Pune district, in January andFebruary 1999, 2000, and 2001(Ingalhalikar et al. 2000–01). Six birdswere sighted at Pune in October 1986(Kalpavriksh 2001). Mahabal &Lamba (1987) had mentioned it asuncommon in Pune. It was sightedonce about 35 km northeast of Pune

Recent sight records of theEuropean Roller in Maharashtra

on the Pune-Ahmednagar Road onOctober 22, 1976, and again at about55 km northeast of Pune on the sameroad, on October 22, 1976 (Khanna1977). Two birds each were sighted atKhandala, on March 25, 1934 and inOctober–November 1935 (Ali &Abdulali 1939).

Stairmand (1970) reported one birdbetween Thane and Taloje on December21, 1969. A specimen was collected inDecember 1938 in Mumbai City(Abdulali & Ali 1940, Anon. 1886).Futehally (1995) reported theoccurrence of European Roller atKihim, Raigad district in 1968.

Sunjoy Monga reported thefollowing sightings around Mumbai:one between Mira Road and Bhayanderin late December 1985, one in January1992 at Manori, one near Karjat in themid-1980s (Prasad 2003). Further,Prasad (2003) reported the followingsightings: One bird sighted by ParthNagarkar at Andheri on October 13,

Raju Kasambe, Siddhesh Surve, and Noor Khan

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Table: Recent sight records of European Roller in Maharashtra, 2008–2013

Sr. Location Date Observer No. of

1. Nagpur September 18, 2013 Indraneel Dani 12. Sawanga village, Amravati district October 6, 2013 Ninad Abhang 13. Chikhaldara, Amravati district October 20, 2013 Gaurav Kadu 14. Khartalegaon, Amravati district October 9, 2013 Ninad Abhang and Gaurav Kadu 15. Near Akola September 14, 2010 Prashant Gahale 16. Near Akola November 2, 2012 Prashant Gahale 17. Near Akola October 5, 2013 Prashant Gahale 18. Road to Deulgaon Raja from Akola September 12, 2013 Sanket Dharashivkar 19. Uran, Navi Mumbai October 18, 2008 Girish Vaze 110. Uran, Navi Mumbai October 27, 2012 Prateik Kulkarni and Parag Nandgaonkar 111. Uran, Navi Mumbai March 31, 2013 Sudhir Gaikwad-Inamdar 212. Nizampur, Raigad district December 12, 2008 Ashwin Baindur 113. Murud Janjira near Alibag October 28, 2012 Pradnyawant Mane 314. Khaghar Hills, Navi Mumbai September 30, 2012 Bhavesh Rathod 115. Bhandup, Mumbai October–November 2012 Vikrant Jathar 116. Bhandup, Mumbai October 14, 2012 Ashish Mantri 117. Race Course, Mumbai October 15, 2011 Kalpana Malani 118. Vasai Fort, Mumbai October 8, 2012 Kuldeep Chaudhary 119. Kharghar Hills, Navi Mumbai June 12, 2012 Prashant Patil 120. Kharghar Hills, Navi Mumbai September 30, 2012 Bhavesh Rathod and Prathamesh Desai 121. Alibag, Raigad district November 1, 2012 Avinash Bhagat 122. Kharghar Hills, Navi Mumbai October 14, 2012 Avinash Bhagat 123. Murbad-Malshej Ghat road September 17, 2009 Abhijit Avalaskar 124. Bhandup, Mumbai October–November 2012 Vikrant Jathar and Ashish Mantri 125. Race Course, Mumbai October 14 , 2011 and Kalpana Malani 1

October 18, 201226. Mumbai October 10, 2013 Sagar Rajpurkar 127. Vasai Fort, Mumbai October 8, 2012 Kuldeep Chaudhary 128. Kolhapur October 12, 2013 Abhay Patil 129. Near Jalgaon September 10, 2011 Sarvesh Bhalerao 130. Varangaon, Jalgaon district September 19, 2009 Anil Mahajan 131. Hatnur Dam, Jalgaon district September 30, 2012 Anil Mahajan 132. Yawal WLS, Jalgaon district October 2, 2013 Anil Mahajan 133. Bhilmadhi (Kurha), Jalgaon district October 6, 2013 Balkrushna Devre, Ravindra Sonawane, 1

Rahul Sonawane, Aman Gujar and Prasad Sonawane34. North Maharashtra September 29, 2013 Balkrushna Devre, Ravindra Sonawane,

University Campus, Jalgaon Rahul Sonawane, Aman Gujar and Prasad Sonawane 135. Asoda road, Jalgaon district October 5, 2013 Balkrushna Devre, Ravindra Sonawane,

Rahul Sonawane, Aman Gujar and Prasad Sonawane 136. Waghur dam area, Jalgaon district October 6, 2013 Balkrushna Devre, Ravindra Sonawane, 1

Rahul Sonawane, Aman Gujar and Prasad Sonawane37. Borgad, Nashik district October 15–30, 2010 Biswarup Raha 138. Supa, district Ahmednagar October 2009 Arvind Rao 139. Dive Ghat, Pune October 17, 2008 Rahul Rao 140. Vetal Hills, Pune October 17 and 22, 2009 Saurabh Ingale 141. Pune October 23, 2009 Mihir Barve 142. Dive Ghat, Pune October 19, 2009 Garima Bhatia 143. Pune October 20, 2012 Manoj Bhagwat 144. Near Sinhgad, Pune November 13, 2012 Nachiket Sapre 145. Near Saswad, Pune October 19, 2013 Sachin Dharne 246. Near Saswad, Pune October 13, 2013 Ishan Potbhare 247. Near Saswad, Pune October 16, 2013 Varun Kher 3

48. In Lavale, Pune September 28, 2013 Akshay Jadhav 149. Susgaon, Pune October 26, 2013 Akshay Jadhav 150. Saswad, Pune October 19, 2013 Sachin Dharne 2


17

51. ARAI, Pune October 25, 2013 Ajinkya Ghogare 152. ARAI, Pune October 27, 2013 Avadhut Kanago 153. Dive Ghat, Pune October 24, 2013 Sangameshwar Ghattargi 154. Pune October 27, 2013 Santosh Mulik 155. Baramati, Pune district October 26, 2013 Varun Bhute 156. Solapur October 14, 2013 Prasanna A.V. 157. Mhatardi, Thane district December 28, 2012 Pradnyawant Mane 158. Shahapur, Thane district October 22, 2013 Ashok Gaikwad 159. Uran, Navi Mumbai October 26, 2008 Abhijit Narvekar 160. Uran, Navi Mumbai October 27, 2013 Raju Kasambe, Siddhesh Shivkar, Parag Damle 161. Near Belpada, Navi Mumbai October 27, 2013 Raju Kasambe, Siddhesh Shivkar, Parag Damle 162. Kaas, Satara district September 16, 2008 Kishor Gumaste 163. Kaas, Satara district September 12, 2009 Jyoti Amit Rane and Chintamani Deshpande 164. Kaas, Satara district October 15, 2009 Girish Vaze 165. Karad, Satara district October 26, 2012 Aniruddha Dikshit 166. Kaas Plateau, Satara district September– Adesh Shivkar 1

October 2011, 201267. Shirdi, Ahmednagar district September–October, 2011 Adesh Shivkar 168. Dhule September 19, 2010 Kunal Patil 1

September 15 and 22, 201269. Dhule September 1, 2012 Umakant Patil 170. Nakane Tank, Dhule district October 14, 2013 Himanshu Tembhekar 1

Table: Recent sight records of European Roller in Maharashtra, 2008–2013

Sr. Location Date Observer No. of


2002; Alpa Sheth reported sighting ofone bird at Vashi, possibly in 2001;Kanwar B. Singh sighted one bird atLonavla on October 5, 2002.

DiscussionThe European Roller was recorded

in Maharashtra from September toDecember, and the birds seem to bepassage migrants. It appears that thebirds stay for a few weeks in Maharashtraand then proceed further. There are tworecords in June (Kelkar 2006, PrashantPatil pers. comm.) and two in March(Sudhir Gaikwad-Inamdar pers. comm.,Ali & Abdulali 1939) suggesting thatthey might be taking the same routeduring return migration. There is noevidence that they stop for many daysduring return migration.

AcknowledgementsWe thank all the birdwatchers who

provided their sight records forthis article. Thanks to the websiteowners of www.migrantwatch.in andwww.indiaturewatch.net which are finestorehouses of bird data.

References

Anon. (1886) Catalogue of birds as yet inthe collection of the Bombay NaturalHistory Society. JBNHS 1(1): 15–23.

Abdulali, H. & Ali, S. (1940) Additionalnotes on the birds of Bombay andSalsette. JBNHS 42(1): 191–197.

Ali, S. & Abdulali, H. (1939) The birds ofBombay and Salsette. JBNHS 40(4):628–652.

BirdLife International (2013) Speciesfac t shee t : Corac ias garru lus .Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 07/06/2013.

Davidson, J. (1882) Rough list of the birdsof Western Khandesh. Stray Feathers10: 279–326.

Davidson, J. (1886) Bird nesting on theGhats. JBNHS 1(4): 175–183.

Futehally, Z. (1995) Kihim diary. Newsletterfor Birdwatchers 35(3): 42–44.

Ingalhalikar, S., Purandare, R., Nalavade,S. & Dhole, S. (2000–01) BirdDiversity Changes of Pune UrbanArea. Journal of Ecological SocietyVols. 13 and 14.

Kalpavriksh (2001) Birds of Pune.Published by Kalpavriksh Centre forEnvironment Education, Pune.

Kelkar, N. (2006) European Roller

Coracias garrulus in Nagpur,Maharashtra. Indian Birds 2(4): 112.

Khanna, L. (1977) The Kashmir RollerCoracias garrulus semenowi nearPoona. Newsletter for Birdwatchers17(2): 10.

Mahabal, A. & Lamba, B.S. (1987) On thebirds of Poona and vicinity. Rec.Zoological Survey of India, OccasionalPaper 94: 1–115.

Pittie, A. (1998) Birding notes. Pitta.November, 1998. Pp. 4.

Prasad, A. (2003) Annotated checklist of thebirds of Western Maharashtra. Buceros8 (2&3): 1–174.

Stairmand, D.A. (1970) Birds aroundBombay. Newsletter for Birdwatchers10(1): 7–8.

Vyawahare, P.M. (1986) Study of migratorywaders of Dhule, Maharashtra. Pavo24(1&2): 1–8.

Contact:Raju KasambeEmail: [email protected]

Siddhesh SurveEmail: [email protected]

Noor KhanEmail: [email protected]

R E S E A R C H A N D C O N S E R V A T I O N

River Tern Sterna aurantia has been uplisted to NearThreatened category on the basis of increasinghuman disturbance and dam construction projects

which are expected to drive a moderately rapid populationdecline over the next three generations (BirdLifeInternational 2013).

River Tern inhabits rivers and freshwater lakes, and itsbreeding has been recorded from early March to early May(Unnithan & Unnithan 2002, Bharucha & Gogte 1990) andoccurs mainly in colonies in remote areas such as islandsand sandbanks in rivers (del Hoyo et al. 1996). It nests in ascrape on the ground, often on bare rock or sand, and laysthree greenish grey to buff eggs, which are blotched andstreaked with brown. Breeding colonies of River Tern wererecorded in Maharashtra from Ujjani (Bradbeer 1987,

Breeding colony of River Tern onmanmade construction in theDeccan Plateau, MaharashtraSujit Narwade and Kamlakar Fartade

Bharucha & Gogte 1990, Bharucha et al. 1988) and Lonavlain Pune district (Unnithan & Unnithan 2002) and Khutbav,Pune district, in 2002 by Rahul Purandare (Prasad 2003);Doodhganga reservoir, south of Radhanagari, Kolhapurdistrict (Gole 1999); and recently on an island in Shivsagarlake, formed in the backwater of Koyna dam (Baindur 2011).

Usually River Tern is seen in groups of 10–12 birds inalmost all wetland areas and their population was foundincreasing towards summer breeding areas. In May 2013,the second author received information about a congregationof birds on an island created by the exposed floor of asubmerged old palace located between Kalashi village ofIndapur, Pune district and Ashti village of Karmala tehsil,Solapur district. The palace was constructed using rock andlime mortar some 100 years ago. During the construction

River Tern have become used to thepresence of tourists

Sujit

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R E S E A R C H A N D C O N S E R V A T I O N

of Ujjani Dam on Bhima river, the old village was relocatedfrom a low lying area on the banks of the river. Everysummer, the floor of the palace gets exposed for a fewmonths and is being used by River Tern for breeding. Thefloor gets submerged again after heavy rainfall and increasedwater level.

From Kalashi village of Indapur tehsil, we took a launchto reach the site on May 9, 2013. Mr. Govand, the boatman,informed us about a huge congregation of birds which hehad seen since February 2013 on the island. We arrived atthe site at 7.00 pm late in the evening. Mr. Govand advisedus to take care while walking to avoid trampling eggs. Itwas confirmed that the breeding colony was of River Tern,but to get more details and to avoid disturbance to thebreeding colony, we returned to Akluj, intending to revisitthe site.

On May 10, 2013 we reached the site early morning andobserved a huge breeding colony of River Tern. We selecteda vantage point to observe the birds and their nests withoutdisturbing them. We counted near about 330 nests with blockcounting method in a total area of 0.25 sq. km (500 x 500m) of the island. Each nest contained two to three eggs.Some of the nests contained one or two hatchlings, whilefledglings were observed on the edges of the island hidingamong the stones. Some nests of Black-winged StiltHimantopus himantopus and Small Pratincole Glareolalactea were also observed.

Four chicks of River Tern were found strangled in piecesof fishnet settled on the island during decreasing water levelsin summer. Two eggs were seen trampled by tourists visitingthe old palace. Mr. Govand should be thanked for keepingpeople aware of the presence of the nests on the floor toavoid trampling.

On June 26, we again visited the area witha team of other BNHS scientists, but no nestswere observed. A few juveniles and carcassesof five chicks were seen trapped in fishnets.The nesting areas of terns are vulnerable toflooding, predation, and other disturbance,while numerous dam construction projectscompleted, underway or planned are majorthreats (del Hoyo et al. 1996). Movement ofRiver Tern in non-breeding season is yet tobe studied and breeding colonies are notreported. We need to strengthen the capacityof local people like Mr. Govand who aresaving the breeding population of River Ternand creating awareness without any financialsupport.

ReferencesBaindur, A. (2011) Photograph of River Tern Sterna aurantia

chick at site of breeding colony on an island in Shivsagarlake formed by Koyna dam, Maharashtra, India. April2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:River_tern-Chick_01_-_Koyna_042011.JPG

Bharucha, E.K. & Gogte, P.P. (1990) Avian profile of a man-modified aquatic ecosystem in the backwaters of theUjjani Dam. J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc. 87(1): 73–90.

Bharucha, E.K., Gogte, P.P. & Gole, T.P. (1988) A newnesting colony of River Terns and Pratincoles. JBNHS85(1): 191–193.

BirdLife International (2013) Species factsheet: Sterna aurantia.Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 23/08/2013.

Bradbeer, P. (1987) Bird Species seen in Maharashtra(mainly around Pune) from 22nd March 1986 to 16thMarch 1987. Unpublished report.

del Hoyo, J., Elliott A., and Sargatal, J. (1996) Handbookof the Birds of the World. Vol. 3: Hoatzin to Auks.Lynx Edicions, Barcelona, Spain.

Gole, P. (1999) Birds of the Sahyadri. Journal of EcologicalSociety 11: 4–28.

Prasad, A. (2003) Annotated Checklist of Birds of WesternMaharashtra. Buceros 8(2&3): 174.

Unnithan, S. & Unnithan, G.V.K (2002) A breeding colonyof River Tern Sterna aurantia, Small PratincoleGlareola lactea and Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellusindicus at Lonavla. JBNHS 99(3): 522–525.

View of a submerged palace used by breeding birds for nesting

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Contact:Sujit Narwade Email: [email protected] Fartade Email: [email protected]



The Bristled Grassbird Chaetornis striata inMasa, Akola, Maharashtra

Kaustubh A. Pandharipande

In the early morning of September 14, 2013, I waswandering in the beautiful savannah grasslands near

Masa village of Akola district in Maharashtra. Thelegendary birder Mr. Himmat Pawar who belongs to thePardhi tribe was with me. The Pardhi tribe are traditionalhunters/trappers in India. Himmat is known for hisknowledge of the Lesser Florican Sypheotides indicus.Recent sighting of the male florican and its breeding sitesaround his village was because of his traditional wisdom.His contribution to Samvedana’s Florican conservationproject is most important.

That morning we were keen to see the display of theEndangered Lesser Florican in Masa. We scanned a fewgrassy patches, and Himmat even climbed up a small treeto spot the display, focused on a typical display call, butthere was no sign of display nearby.

Around 10 am, we were both attracted towards anunknown bird call and the flight of a bird about the sizeof a Long-tailed Shrike. There were four individualsaround, their noisy calls and uncommon flight was makingthem conspicuous. I observed one individual through mybinoculars; it was perched on the top of a Hiwar Acacialeucophloea tree. The bird can be described as having astrong black beak, brown colour near its cheek, blackinternal part of mouth that becomes visible while it calls,and brownish back and wings with striations on them.

The flight was like a display, it seemed that the birddid not mean to fly from one tree to another. It circled,flew upwards then down with wings close to its body. Allindividuals seemed responding to each others. Sometimesthe bird landed on the ground but we could not spot it,even though we could hear its call.

I captured the bird on camera, a Canon 50D SLR with75-300 mm lens. Though the images are not clear,

I identify the bird as the Bristled Grassbird Chaetornisstriata, which has been listed as Vulnerable by BirdLifeInternational and IUCN. The bird is endemic to theIndian Subcontinent: Pakistan, India, Nepal, andBangladesh. This grassland bird population is very smalland declining due to the loss and degradation of itshabitat, mainly due to drainage and conservation toagriculture.

Contact:Kaustubh Ashok PandharipandeSAMVEDANA, Professors Colony,Karanja (Lad) district, Washim - 444 105Email: [email protected]

Bristled Grassbird in Akola

AN APPEAL

IBCN members are requested to send a test email on [email protected],

with their names, as most of our correspondence is through email and in many cases

the email bounces.

Kau

stub

h A. P

andh

arip

ande

10. KarnatakaDr. S. SubramanyaPHT Scheme, J Block, GKVK CampusUniversity of Agricultural SciencesBangalore 560065Email: [email protected]

11. KeralaDr. P.O. NameerAssociate Professor (Wildlife), & HeadCentre for Wildlife StudiesCollege of ForestryKerala Agricultural University (KAU), Thrissur 680656Email: [email protected]

12. Madhya PradeshDr. Sangeeta RajgirEnvironment Conservation SocietyM-16, Shastri Nagar ColonyT.T. Nagar, Bhopal 462003Email: [email protected]

13. MaharashtraDr. Jayant S. Wadatkar (Vidarbha region)42, Greenpark Colony, Near Asiad ColonyShegaon Road, Amravati 444604Email: [email protected]

14. ManipurDr. R.K. Ranjan SinghManipur Association for Science and Society (MASS)Manipur Cultural Integrated ConferencePalace Compound, Imphal 795001Email: [email protected]

15. PondicherryDr. Priya DavidarSálim Ali School of Ecology &Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry UniversityKalapet 605014Email: [email protected]

16. RajasthanDr. Himmat SinghType 11/4, AFRI Residential CampusPlot no.729, Basni IIndJodhpur [email protected]

17. SikkimMs Usha Ganguli-LachungpaSr. Research Officer (WL), Government of SikkimDepartment of Forest, Environment & WildlifeDeorali, Gangtok 737102Email: [email protected]

18. Tamil Nadu1. Dr. V. Santharam C/o Institute of Bird Studies & Natural History

Rishi Valley Education CentreChittoor 517352, Andhra PradeshEmail: [email protected]

2. Mr. Kumaran Sathasivam29, Jadamuni, Koil Street, Madurai 625001Email: [email protected]

19. Uttar Pradesh (East and West)1. Dr. Vijay Prakash Singh (Eastern UP)

Jaidev Nagar (Rajgarh),Lakhimpur Kheri 262701Email: [email protected]

2. Mr. Neeraj Srivastav (Western UP)Flat No. 303, Plot No. 26/10, Kumar EnclaveWazir Hasan Road, Lucknow 226001Email: [email protected]

20. West BengalMr. Kushal MookherjeeSecretary, Prakriti Samsad65, Golf Club Road, Kolkata 700033Email: [email protected]

1. Andhra Pradesh1. Mr. M. Shafaat Ulla

H. No. 4, St. No. 1, Avenue 8 (Rd No. 3)Banjara Hills, Hyderabad 500003Email: [email protected]

2. Mr. K. Mrutyumjaya RaoChandra Villa Apts., Block A, Flat 101Latchirajuvari Street, Surya Raopet, KakinadaEast Godaviri 533001Email: [email protected]

2. AssamDr. Anwaruddin ChoudhuryHouse No. 7, Near Gate No. 1, Nehru StadiumIslampur Road, Guwahati 781007Email: [email protected]

3. BiharMr. Arvind MishraMandar Nature ClubAnand Chikitsalaya Road, Bhagalpur 812002Email: [email protected],[email protected]

4. ChhattisgarhMr. Arun M.K. BharosB-101 Gayatrinagar, PO Shankar Nagar, Raipur 492007Email: [email protected], [email protected]

5. DelhiMr. Nikhil DevasarDelhi Bird Club, C 1/503 Mayfair Tower, Charmwood VillageEros Garden, Surajkund Road, Faridabad, HaryanaEmail: [email protected]

6. GoaMr. Parag RangnekarR-1, S-3, Techno Park, Near Landscape City, Chogm RoadAlto-Provorim, Bardez, North GoaEmail: [email protected]

7. Gujarat1. Mr. Jugal Kishor Tiwari (Kutch)

Centre for Desert and OceanP.O. Moti-Virani, Taluka Nakhtrana, Kutch 370665Email: [email protected]

2. Dr. I.R. Gadhvi (Saurashtra)Plot no. 2200, Ankur Society, Hill DriveBhavnagar 364002Email: [email protected]

8. Jammu & Kashmir1. Dr. Ashfaq Ahmed Zarri (Jammu)

Deputy RegistrarBaba Ghulam Shah Badshah UniversityRajouri 185131Email: [email protected]

2. Dr. Khursheed Ahmed (Kashmir)Panzmulla (Salia), District Anantnag 192129Email: [email protected]

3. Mr. Pankaj Chandan (Ladakh)Project Manager, WWF India Field Office,Hemis Complex Zangsti Road, Leh 194101Email: [email protected] [email protected]

9. JharkhandMr. Satya PrakashVision Enclave, Flat No.104, New Forest ColonyHurhuru Road, Hurhuru, Hazaribagh 825301Email: [email protected]

IBCN MISSION

To promote conservation of birds and their habitats through the development of a national network of individuals,organisations and the government

IBCN STATE COORDINATORS

I B C N O R G A N I S AT I O N A L PA R T N E R S

Institute of Bird Studies &Natural History,Andhra Pradesh

Mandar Nature Club,Bihar

Chhattisgarh Wildlife Society,Chhattisgarh

Gujarat

Bird Conservation Societyof Surat, Gujarat

Delhi

Delhi, M.P.Chhattisgarh and

Assam

Ashoka Trust for Researchin Ecology & the Environment,

Karnataka

Nature Conservation Society,Jharkhand

People for Animals,Madhya Pradesh

Maharashtra

Karnataka Madhya Pradesh

AssamEarly Birds, Assam

Wildlife Protection Society ofIndia, New Delhi

JanlakshyaBihar

AVESArunachal Pradesh

Gujarat

Bird Conservation Society,Gujarat

Jharkhand

Madhya Pradesh

Karnataka

MaharashtraMaharashtra

Maharashtra

Assam Assam

Creative Nature FriendsMaharashtra

Gujarat Institute of DesertEcology, Gujarat

JBF India Trust, Assam

Malnad Wildlife Group,Karnataka

MaharashtraChaatak Nature ConservationSociety, Varangaon, Maharashtra

Nature Foundation, WarudMaharashtra

Birdwatchers’ Society ofAndhra Pradesh

Assam

Maharashtra

Nirmal Foundation frdGujarat

Jharkhand

St. Xavier’s School, Jharkhand

Andhra Pradesh

Karnataka

Maharashtra

Gujarat

AlipurduarNature Club,West Bengal

Rajasthan

Nature Club,Bishop Heber College,

Tamil Nadu

Arulagam,Tamil Nadu

Uttar Pradesh

Amrapali Institute,Uttarakhand

Himalayan Nature &Adventure Foundation,

West Bengal

Nuclear Power Corporationof India Limited

Rajasthan

Orissa

I B C N O R G A N I S AT I O N A L PA R T N E R S

www.ibcn.in

Orissa

Barn Owl Nature ClubTamil Nadu

Uttar Pradesh

Gondia Nisarg Mandal,Maharashtra

Maharashtra

Maharashtra

Maharashtra

Sahyadri Nisarg Mitra,Chiplun, Maharashtra

Maharashtra

Nature Science (Clubs)Society, Maharashtra

Srushtidnyan,Maharashtra

Nature Conservation Society,Maharashtra.

Uttar Pradesh

Plant & Animals WelfareSociety, Maharashtra

Bombay Natural History Society,Maharashtra

Tamil Nadu

Maharashtra

Wildlife HeritageConservation Society,

MaharashtraMagpies and Treepies,

Maharashtra.

Maharashtra Maharashtra

Sikkim

Nature and Environment Society ofThane, Maharashtra

Sikkim

Maharashtra.

Wild ExplorersMaharashtra

Wildlife Association ofRajapalayam, Tamil Nadu

Center for Conservationof Nature & Cultivation of Science

Manipur

Maharashtra

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