17 year old Preeth Khona was on his way to Bangalore when he accidently sighted a pair of Great Indian Bustards foraging in a field in Chelugurki village, 25 km from Bellary in Karnataka. The chance sighting raises hope for the bird which is critically endangered and one of the rarest species in the world.
Black Necked Cranes Spotted in Arunachal Pradesh
Zemithang Valley in Tawang district of India’sNorth eastern state Arunachal Pradesh is one of the two winter destinations of black necked cranes in India but last year only three of these winged guests arrived here. This year though, the arrivals have been better much to the delight of local conservationists who also spotted a juvenile crane among the group.
Mining, a death-knell for The Great Indian Bustard
The infamous Bellary region in Karnataka is once again in news, this time not only for illegal plundering of mineral wealth of the state. The repercussion of extensive, destructive mining has resulted in the near extinction of the Great Indian Bustard which were once the pride of Karnataka’s bird life. A major shift in traditional farming practices also have contributed to their dwindling grass land habitat.
Rare Flock of White-rumped Vulture Spotted in Sivasagar, Assam
A flock of more than 40 White-rumped vultures was sighted in Assam Sivasagar district’s Panidihing Bird sanctuary recently. Considering that these vultures are in the list of critically endangered species, it is heartening news that after 3 years they were seen in such large numbers.
Great Indian Bustard now Critically Endangered
Elevating the conservation status of the Great Indian Bustard, The Bird Life International and IUCN have declared the bird as a critically endangered species. The present population of Bustards stand at just 300 covering six states in India.