Birds dependent on open habitats in T.N. under rapid decline: report

Tamil Nadu's bird species in decline, citizen science tool MYNA helps identify and conserve local avifauna. Access at myna.stateofindiasbirds.in.

In Tamil Nadu, migratory ducks, shorebirds, raptors, forest birds, and other species dependent on open habitats are heavily declining, shows an analysis of the State of India’s Birds (SoIB) report for Tamil Nadu.

The report, presented jointly by the Madras Naturalists’ Society, the Adyar Nature and Environment Centre: The Theosophical Society, and the Zoological Survey of India, shows that 85 species found in Tamil Nadu are classified as ‘High Conservation Priority’.

Extracted from the SoIB 2023 — a nationwide report put together by 13 organisations using data from citizen science platforms — the long-term trend (last 30 years) for Tamil Nadu shows that even commonly spotted birds such as garganey, common tern, grey plover, lesser sand plover, common teal, and common pochard are rapidly declining.

The author of the Tamil Nadu report, Ganeshwar S.V. of the Salem Ornithological Foundation, pointed out that data was insufficient and the trends were inconclusive for several species. Highlighting the importance of citizen science in the conservation of the birds’ habitats, Mr. Ganeshwar demonstrated Mapping Your Neighbourhood Avifauna (MYNA), a tool by SoIB, to know more about the local avifauna.

MYNA is a tool that will help birders identify birds and their conservation status in a particular geographic location — a district, a wetland, or any patch of land — by selecting the boundaries of any region on the map. It is significant to take up conservation measures at a local level, said Mr. Ganeshwar.

Using the Elathur lake in Erode as an example, Deepak V., a coordinator with Suzhal Arivom, a conservation non-governmental organisation, explained how the 2,059 trees in the avifauna hotspot were protected from being axed using SoIB data. After making representations to the district authorities, the District Green Committee passed an order to stop the cutting of trees.

Similarly, at the Damal lake in Kancheepuram in 2023, Mr. Deepak said the MYNA was used to prevent the axing of trees that had the nests of cormorants and egrets. “As a birdwatchers, we should not stop with just spotting birds, we need to step up when there is an issue,” he added.