Avifauna Research and Conservation Project

Ornithologists of Aaranyak have been involved in conservation and research of avifauna since 1990. The conservation and research initiatives of Aaranyak involves:
A. Threatened Species Conservation
a. Greater Adjutant Stork Conservation Project: Once common in the Brahmaputra Valley, the bird disappeared rapidly during the last 2-3 decades and has reached an alarming situation. Tagged as Endangered the stork struggles to survive in few pockets of Assam and efforts are on to save ot from extinction. In collaboration with Green Guard, a grassroot NGO in Nagaon (known as the largest breeding site), Assam; Aaranyak took up a project in 2002 to rescue and rehabilitate the chick of this stork that fell down from their nest during windy season. They were raised in a captive facility and released later in the same locality. 22 storks were rehabilitated and released in the wild during 2002-2004. However, this project is facing financial hardship at this stage and Aaranyak and Green Guard seeks contributions from interested donors. Several chicks died this year due to lack of rescue facilities and fund.
b. White-winged Wood Duck: The population of this threatened duck has been subjected to monitoring since 1993 by Dr. Bibhab K Talukdar. The duck is restricted to only few pockets of tropical rainforests in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, which is hunted by local. The loss of habitat due to illegal felling of trees have pushed the duck towards the brink of extinction in the state. Aaranyak accepted this bird as its official logo as a sign of its commitment to save the bird from extinction in 1989 and also filed a Public Interest litigation in the Gauhati High Court challenging the decision of the government to lease out fisheries in the Dibru-Soikhowa NP (then WLS).
c. Bengal Florican: Aaranyak's biologists have been monitoring the Bengal Florican Houbaropsis bengalensisis since 1997. Bengal Florican is found only in few PAs in Assam including Manas NP, Kaziranga NP, Orang NP and Dibru-Saikhowa NP. Recently, a population of the Florican was observed on the fringe of Manas NP and biologist Bibhuti P. Lahkar has been monitoring the population through capacity building and direct involvement of the local youth there. A series of awareness programme have been carried out in different parts having distribution of this threatened bird to aware the local community and seek their support in conservation of the species and their habitat.
d. Dark-rumped Swift: One of the poorly known threatened species (VU), Dark-rumped Swift Apus acuticauda has been a subject of survey and population monitoring by M Firoz Ahmed, Biologist of Aaranyak for the last four years (since 2001). The study has helped in generating vital data on its distribution and conservation aspects in different interior areas in the region. An extensive study on ecology, ethology and distribution of the swift has been carried out in Cherrapunjee, Meghalaya; the largest known stronghold of this rare bird. A publication is under preparation.
B. Inventories
a. IBA Inventories: Aaranyak with support from the Important Bird Areas Programme of the Bombay Natural History Society carried out survey of birds with reference to the RDB species available in and around different protected and non-protected areas in the northeast India.
b. Inventories in Protected Areas: Large number of PAs in the region are data deficient. Aaranyak has been putting efforts in evaluating the diversity of avifauna along with other biodiversity of some PAs.
i. As a result of continuous study on birds, Aaranyak has published a list of the Birds of the Hengerabari Reserve Forest, Assam in collaboration with the Assam State Zoo Authority.
ii. Also carried out survey and published a checklist of "Hundred Birds of the Gauhati and University Campus, Guwahati".
iii. Surveying the birds of Amchang Wildlife Sanctuary and Garbhanga Reserve Forest that are located around the Guwahati City.
iv. Ornithologists of Aaranyak have been monitoring the nesting colonies of Cormorants, Egrets and Herons in and around Guwahati City. There are a number of colonies of these birds in and around the city. Monitoring.
c. Inventories in Community Protected Forests: The indigenous communities own a large amount of the forests in the hill areas of the region and some of them are also protected traditionally. The biodiversity information of such areas is lacking. Aaranyak has taken initiatives to inventories and document the biodiversity and traditional knowledge of such areas.
i. The avifauna of the Sacred Groves in Cherrapunjee, Meghalaya have been inventorised during 2002-2004.
ii. Avifauna of the Khonoma Nature Conservation and Tragopan Sanctuary, Nagaland are being surveyed systematically since 2004.
iii. Additional areas in Phek district has been considered for avifaunal survey during the next two years.
C. Long term Research
a. Dr. Bibhab Kumar Talukdar, Secretary General of Aaranyak completed his PhD theses on "Status of Anatidae and Ecology of the White-winged Wood Duck in Assam" from the Gauhati University in 2000.
b. Dr. Rathin Barman, Vice President of Aaranyak completed his PhD on "An ecological analysis of the wetlands in relation to waterbird diversity of Brahmaputra Valley, Assam." He was awarded his PhD in 1999 by the Gauhati University.
c. Dr. Hilloljyoti Singha, Publicity Secretary of Aaranyak completed his PhD "Ecology, Biology and Ethology of Greater Adjutant Stork Leptoptilos dubius (Gmelin) in Assam, India." The Aligarh Muslim University awarded him the PhD Degree in 1998.
D. Capacity Building and Awareness: Aaranyak has been conducting bird identification and census training programme for undergraduate and graduate students as part of Aaranyak's manpower development programme in the region for last 10 years. Under this program 10 persons have been trained to conduct study on birds. Further, during 2002-2003 a series of bird identification and scientific monitoring training program for the amateur and skilled birdwatcher of the region.

 

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