Kaziranga releases 1st grassland bird survey report, records 43 species
The survey, conducted between March & May, included Eastern Assam, Biswanath & Nagaon Wildlife Divisions;
Kaziranga, July 15: The Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve authority officially released its first ‘Grassland Bird Survey Report’, marking a significant milestone in the documentation and protection of grassland-dependent bird species in the Brahmaputra floodplains.
The survey, which was conducted between March 18 and May 25 this year, included the Eastern Assam Wildlife Division, the Biswanath Wildlife Division, and Nagaon Wildlife Division.
Altogether 43 grassland bird species were recorded, including one ‘Critically Endangered’ species, two ‘Endangered’ species, and six ‘Vulnerable’ species, along with several species endemic to the region, as per the IUCN Red List.
The survey had laid emphasis on ten focal species which are either globally threatened or endemic to the Brahmaputra floodplains. These are Bengal Florican, Swamp Francolin, Finn’s Weaver, Swamp Grass Babbler, Jerdon’s Babbler, Slender-billed Babbler, Black-breasted Parrotbill, Marsh Babbler, Bristled Grassbird, and Indian Grassbird.
The key objective of the survey was to find the breeding colony or colonies of the endangered Finn’s Weaver (Ploceus megarhynchus) at Kaziranga. These species serve as ecological indicators of the health and integrity of floodplain grasslands.
The report has identified several critical grassland habitats within Kaziranga that support significant populations of threatened and endemic species. Interestingly, the discovery of a breeding colony of the endangered Finn’s Weaver in the Kohora (Kaziranga) Range marks a pivotal finding and reinforces the need for focused habitat protection and management.
The report is the result of a collaborative effort by a dedicated team of forest officials, scientists, and conservationists, including Dr Asad R Rahmani, Dr Anwar Uddin Choudhury, Dr Ranjan Kumar Das, Dr Udayan Borthakur, Dr Sonali Ghosh (field director of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger reserve), Chiranjib Bora, Dr Samarjit Ojah, Dr Biswajit Chakdar, Shyamal Saikia, Hina Brahma, Dr Leons Mathew Abraham, Sujan Chatterjee, Abidur Rahman, Bitupan Kalita, Arif Hussain, Jugal Borah, Rahul Sarma, Luson Prakash Gogoi, Dipankar Deka, Neeraj Bora, Arun C Vignesh (DFO of Kaziranga), Khagesh Pegu, and Rajib Hazarika.
The survey report was released by Assam’s Minister of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, Chandra Mohan Patowary, and the MP from Kaziranga HPC, Kamakhaya Prasad Tasa, in an event held a few days ago at Kaziranga.