88 threatened bird species in India

Presenting a depressing scenario of avian wealth, the much-awaited IUCN Red List 2008 released features India prominently among the ten countries in the world having the largest number of threatened species of birds.Brazil tops the list with 141 while India is ranked seventh with 88, reports the BirdLife International, the Cambridge based global alliance of conservation organisations and an authority for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Of the 88 threatened species in India that includes migratory, 13 are categorised as Critically Endangered (facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild), 10 as Endangered (facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild) and the remaining as Vulnerable (facing high risk of extinction in the wild). Two of the species, Baer's Pochard (Aythya baeri) and Spoon-billed Sandpiper (Eurynorhynchus pygmeus), have been uplisted, from Vulnerable to Endangered and from Endangered to Critically Endangered respectively.The decline of the Pochard's population was traced to wetland destruction while that of charismatic Sandpiper's to habitat loss in its breeding, passage and wintering grounds and effects of climate change. The other Critically Endangered species include Himalayan Quail (Ophrysia superciliosa), Pink-headed duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea), White- bellied heron (Ardea insignis), Jerdon's Courser (Rhinoptilus bitorquatus), Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus) and four species of vultures.

Elsewhere, the 2008 Red List makes grim reading with 1,226 species of bird in the world now threatened and eight species newly uplisted to Critically Endangered, the highest threat category. Of the 26 species that changed category owing to changes in their population size, rate of decline or range size, 24 were uplisted to a higher level of threat. These include continental species like Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata) and Dartford Warbler (Sylvia undata), both previously of Least Concern, and now regarded as Near Threatened in a global context.BirdLife International says climate change has become firmly established as an accelerant to many of the factors which have put one in eight of the world's birds at risk of extinction. Long- term drought and sudden extreme weather are putting additional stress on the pockets of habitat that many threatened species depend on.In Australia, Malleee Emuwren (Stipiturus mallee) is undergoing a very rapid population decline (100 birds confined to 100 km stretch) and its habitat is now so fragmented that a single bushfire could be catastrophic.

In Galapagos Islands, Floreana Mockingbird (Nesomimus trifasciatus) is confined to two islets off Floreana. Its population has declined from an estimated maximum of 150 individuals in 1966 to fewer than 60.Yet there is some good news. Two species whose situation has improved are Marquesan Imperial- pigeon (Ducula galeata) and Little Spotted Kiwi (Apteryx owenii), both beneficiaries of conservation. Action plans put in place have resulted in the downlisting to lower threat categories. "This goes to show not only that conservation action works but that it is vital if we are to prevent the extinction of these and other species," said Dr. Stuart Butchart, BirdLife's Global Research and Indicators Coordinator. "Species are being hit by the double whammy of habitat loss and climate change. As populations become fragmented the effect of climate change can have even greater impact, leading to an increased risk of local extinctions," he added.

The Hindu, 22 May 2008