Journal of Threatened Taxa | www.threatenedtaxa.org | 26 June 2024 | 16(6): 25373–25384

 

ISSN 0974-7907 (Online) | ISSN 0974-7893 (Print) 

https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8750.16.6.25373-25384

#8750 | Received 24 September 2023 | Final received 04 May 2024 | Finally accepted 09 May 2024

 

 

Waterbird diversity of Saman Wetland Complex in Uttar Pradesh: a crucial site for the India’s National Action Plan on migratory birds

 

Omkar Joshi 1, Nisha Singh 2   & P. Sathiyaselvam 3

 

1 B-11, Neelkanth Deep C.H.S., Gopal Nagar 1st Lane Dombivli, Maharashtra 421201, India.

 2,3 Bombay Natural History Society, Hornbill House, S.B.S. Road, Dr. Salim Ali Chowk, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001, India.

1 jomkar91@gmail.com (corresponding author), 2 nishanicky1210@gmail.com, 3 bnhs.sathiyaselvam@bnhs.org

 

 

Editor: H. Byju, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.             Date of publication: 26 June 2024 (online & print)

 

Citation: Joshi, O., N. Singh & P. Sathiyaselvam (2024). Waterbird diversity of Saman Wetland Complex in Uttar Pradesh: a crucial site for the India’s National Action Plan on migratory birds. Journal of Threatened Taxa 16(6): 25373–25384. https://doi.org/10.11609/jott.8750.16.6.25373-25384

  

Copyright: © Joshi et al. 2024. Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. JoTT allows unrestricted use, reproduction, and distribution of this article in any medium by providing adequate credit to the author(s) and the source of publication.

 

Funding: None.

 

Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

 

Author details: Omkar Joshi has done his masters in environmental sciences from Mumbai University. He joined BNHS in 2016 and has been working on various projects that includes, education, bird migration studies, wetland conservation etc. He is currently working as a senior project fellow on India Skimmer Conservation in Chambal River. Nisha Singh holds PhD degree working on Petaurista philippensis in Gujarat and is working as a scientist with Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, Maharashtra. Since 2020, she has become involved in bird studies with BNHS—Wetlands & Flyways Programme. Her main area of interests includes mammal ecology, behavioural ecology and, avian studies. P. Sathiyaselvam is PhD in wetland ecosystem. He has 25 years of experience in wildlife science, wetlands habitat assessment, bird migration, wildlife disease surveillance, coastal and marine habitat management in various institutes. Currently he is at deputy director position of BNHS and heading Wetlands & Flyways Programme.

 

Author contributions: Omkar Joshi: Study conception and design, draft manuscript preparation. Data collection: Omkar Joshi, Nisha Singh. Analysis and interpretation of results: Omkar Joshi, Nisha Singh. Supervision and finance of the study: P. Sathiyaselvam. Reviewed and the final version of the manuscript: Omkar Joshi, Nisha Singh, P. Sathiyaselvam

 

Acknowledgements: We are thankful to the former BNHS director, Dr. Deepak Apte for giving us the opportunity to study these wetlands. We are grateful to the Forest department of Uttar Pradesh for giving the working permission and Mr. Sarvesh Kumar Bhadoria, RFO, Saman Bird Sanctuary for giving us logistical support. We would like to extend our gratitude to Mr. Rahim Shaikh, Ms. Subhiksha Maxima, Mr. Sohail Madan, and his team for helping us conduct the survey. We are also thankful to people living around the wetlands and bird watchers for providing information related wetland.

 

 

Abstract: The Saman Wetland Complex is formed by five major wetlands present in Etawah and Mainpuri districts of Uttar Pradesh. The habitat is majorly a wetland system with scrub vegetation along the edges and surrounded by agricultural fields; attracting a diverse group of bird species. These wetlands are an ideal habitat for Sarus Crane and are also Important Bird Areas. In the past two decades, the anthropogenic activities have deteriorated the habitat and wetlands no longer support the earlier congregation of birds. The study conducted during 2020–2021 provides baseline information on the present status of the Saman wetland complex, waterbird diversity, threats faced by the wetlands & waterbirds, and suggests future management/ conservation strategies.

 

Keywords: Bird species, Etawah, habitat, IBA, Saman Bird Sanctuary, Sarsai Nawar, Sarus Crane, wetlands.

 

 

Introduction

 

Birds with nearly 10,787 species (252 families and 40 orders) are found on Earth, ranging from the poles to the equator (Praveen et al. 2020). Birds are an important component of any ecosystem that not only provide inestimable ecosystem functioning services like scavenging,  preying, act as insects and pest control agents, plant pollinators, and seed dispersal but also as indicators for the evaluation of habitat quality of any particular area or region. Avifaunal diversity and documentation of any region are important in understanding the diversity and distribution of species over a certain area and time (Colin et al. 2000; Peterson et al. 2000).

There are a total of 1,306 bird species found in India that contribute to approximately 12.5% of the world’s avifauna. India’s biogeographic location, heterogeneity of physical features, and eco-climatic variations make it a rich biodiversity country (Praveen et al. 2018).

Uttar Pradesh (UP) is one of the largest states in India occupying an area of 2,40,972 km2. Biologically, it is very rich and varied having 31 Important Bird Areas (IBAs; BirdLife International 2022) with more than 500 species being reported from the state. The state has six ‘Critically Endangered’, five ‘Endangered’, 16 ‘Vulnerable’, and 23 ‘Near Threatened’ bird species (Rahmani et al. 2016).

Out of the 31 IBAs in UP, 24 are wetlands ecosystems. Wetland ecosystems attract a high number of bird species providing adequate food supply and habitats in the form of aquatic vegetations, fishes, crustaceans, and reeds along the edges of the waterbodies respectively. Saman Jheel along with its satellite wetlands (Sauj, Sarsai Nawar, Kurra Zheel, and Kuddaiyya Marshland in Mainpuri and Etawah districts) makes a wetland complex that has been designated as IBAs (Image 1). The region attracts large congregations of waterbirds during the winter season besides having residential birds. According to Rahmani et al. (2016), more than 1,500 Common Teal Anas crecca, 6,000–10,000 Northern Pintail Anas acuta, 30,000 Lesser Whistling-duck Dendrocygna javanica, and 200 Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus were recorded in the area during a survey in January 2001. Many of these species occur in far greater numbers than their 1% biogeographic population threshold determined by Wetlands International (2012) and thus in 2019 the Saman Bird Sanctuary and Sarsai Nawar were declared Ramsar Sites. Saman wetland, and other jheels like Lakh-Bahosi used to be an important habitat for the Siberian Crane Leucogeranus leucogeranus in the state (Rahmani et al. 2016).

Being important as a wintering site for many migrants with more than 1% biogeographic population threshold, the area still lacks proper documentation of avifaunal diversity. Further, many anthropogenic activities have deteriorated the habitat in the last two decades. During the present study, we tried to record the current status of waterbird diversity, their population, and existing threats in the Saman Wetland Complex with special emphasis to create baseline data for the area.

 

Study Area

Saman wetland (27.0230 °N; 79.1900 °E) is located in the upper Gangetic Plains, near Saman village in the Mainpuri district of Uttar Pradesh. It was declared a Bird Sanctuary in 1990. The sanctuary is an oxbow lake, that depends completely upon rainfall for its water. The total area of the sanctuary is 525 ha and approximately 75% of the area is underwater. There is no representative forest type available but reeds along with scattered Prosopis juliflora are present within the sanctuary. Other hydrophytic vegetation includes Nelumbo, Cyperus, Phragmites, and Typha.

Kurra Zheel (27.0156 N; 79.0897 E) is located near Hajipura village in Kurra, Mainpuri district. Karhal-Kishni road divides the wetland into two parts.

Sarsai Nawar Lake (26.9659 °N; 79.2479 °E) is a monsoon-fed natural depression. The lake is important because it is the roosting area of Sarus Crane in the region.

Sauj Lake (27.027 °N; 79.1424 °E) lies beside the Karhal-Kishni main road, just before Saman Bird Sanctuary. The lake is a shallow depression in the landscape.

Kudaiyya marshland (26.9929 °N; 78.9924 °E) is situated along the Karhal-Kishni highway in the Mainpuri district. It is formed by the flooding of a natural depression (Rahmani et al. 2016).

The wetland complex experiences three distinct seasons, viz., summer (March–June), monsoon (July–October), and winter (November–February). The average rainfall in the area is 500–900 mm. The temperature varies 4–48 0C.

 

 

Methods

 

Surveys were carried out in all the wetlands from January 2020–November 2021 to monitor the waterbird diversity, population status, and threats to the birds and their habitat. We covered three winters season ensuring two visits per season. Waterbirds were surveyed using the  total count method (Bibby et al. 1992). The number of birds in large flocks was generally estimated by mentally dividing the congregation into small groups of 5–100 depending upon the size of the flock. Birds were counted that were present within appx. 500 m distance from the observer. In the case of a large waterbody, simultaneous counts were taken with multiple observers. Landbirds were also recorded opportunistically whenever encountered in a wetland or flying over. No other standard methods or efforts were taken to count landbirds.

Birds were observed during mornings, beginning at sunrise and evening hours till sunset depending upon the high activity hours of roosting and foraging. Therefore, twice a day data was collected for the same sites to check the birds’ movements and congregation. In the case of bird identification confirmation, Grimmett et al. (2011) was used. Threats and disturbances to the wetlands were recorded based on the observations during the survey as well as information obtained from the local people, bird watchers, and forest department staff.

 

Data analysis

A detailed checklist of recorded birds was made following BirdLife International (2021) nomenclature. All the recorded species were classified based on the conservation status provided in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (IUCN 2021).

We calculated species richness referring to the number of species in the wetland and Shannon-Wiener index which takes into account both species richness and their evenness (how evenly individuals are distributed among different species). We also calculated the relative diversity (RDi) of families using the following formula (Torre-Cuadros et al. 2007; Samson et al. 2018):

 

Number of bird species in a family

RDi = ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– x 100

Total number of species ̧

 

 

Results

 

During the present study in Saman Wetland Complex, a total of 126 species of birds under 18 orders and 41 families were recorded (Annexure I). Out of the 126 species of birds, 70 species were waterbirds. Among these species, 34 were migratory waterbirds and 36 species were residents. Family Anatidae had a maximum number of species (n = 17) followed by Scolopacidae (n = 12). The maximum count of the waterbirds in a single day recorded at Saman Bird Sanctuary (Saman BS) was 8,210 birds in January 2020, followed by Sarsai Nawar (5,309 birds) in the same month. As globally order Passeriformes has a higher number of species than all others put together, this order represents the highest number of species (n = 34) in the study area, followed by Charadriiformes (n = 20 species) and Anseriforms (n = 17) (Figure 1). However, passeriforms are relatively scarce in the study areas.

Eighteen species belong to the various threatened categories of IUCN. Among the threatened waterbird species, two ‘Vulnerable’ species which are Common Pochard Aythya ferina & Sarus Crane, and eight ‘Near Threatened’ species were recorded during the study period (Table 1).

The maximum diversity of waterbirds was recorded at Sarsai Nawar (63 species) followed by Saman BS (52 species) and the lowest diversity was observed at Kuddaiyya Marshland with 30 species (Figure 2).

Among the landbirds, 58 species were recorded at Saman Wetland Complex. Maximum diversity was observed at Sarsai Nawar followed by Saman BS. Among them, Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus and Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis are categorised as ‘Endangered’ according to IUCN while Greater Spotted Eagle Clanga clanga, Indian Spotted Eagle Clanga hastata, and Tawny Eagle are listed as ‘Vulnerable’. Shannon Diversity Index was highest in the Kurra Jheel, which suggests that Kurra Jheel harbours a high diversity of species in a community and Saman BS the lowest (Table 2). Kurra is surrounded by villages and many birds that live around human settlements are present around the wetland and the congregation of waterbirds is very low. This might be the reason for the high diversity index of Kurra. The species richness index was found to be highest in Sarsai Nawar and lowest in Kuddaiya Marshland.

The family Anatidae had the highest RDi (13.49) with 17 species followed by Scolopacidae (9.52) with 12 species (Table 3).

 

Threats faced by the wetlands

During the survey, it was noticed that the Saman Wetland Complex is facing various problems due to anthropogenic activities around the wetlands and losing its ecological values. One of the major threats is an agricultural expansion on the edge of wetlands. As a result, wetlands are losing their area and thus, today unable to hold the large congregations as they used to. During summer as these wetlands become almost dry, villagers carry out agricultural practices in the wetland area. The use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides put nutrients load into the wetlands through agricultural runoff in addition to sewage from the adjoining villages. This causes water pollution and the growth of species like water hyacinth, Ipomoea, and Typha. Eutrophication in Kurra and Kuddaiyya is so high that hardly any open water surface is available for the waterbirds.

The interactions with the local people revealed other threats such as siltation which has reduced the water holding capacity of wetlands. People also responded positively about the bird capturing practices for meat purposes. This was also evident by the survey team at Saman BS. There is still dispute on the land compensation and therefore locals have a negative approach towards the Saman BS. Other threats and disturbances observed during the survey were the collection of lotus tubers and grasses from the wetland, grazing by livestock within the wetland area, free-ranging dogs, disposal of solid waste and construction debris in the wetland.

 

 

Discussion

 

Saman Wetland Complex is included in the list of priority wetlands under India’s National Action Plan for Conservation of Migratory Birds and their Habitats along Central Asian Flyway (CAF NAP). These wetlands are also defined as IBAs as they supported or were thought to support congregations of more than 20,000 waterbirds regularly. However, it is hardly the scene in the present date. In this region, wetlands are facing immense anthropological pressure. Major areas of the wetlands are reclaimed or destroyed for agricultural expansion and human settlements (Sundar 2006; Maurya & Kumar 2014). Pesticides and fertilizers are mixing into the wetland through agricultural runoff from the surrounding areas. Thus, all the wetlands are facing the threat of pesticide deposition, which may lead to the depletion of insects thereby leading to the disappearance of insectivorous birds.). All the wetlands are surrounded by villages which put grazing pressure on the  areas near the wetlands. Grazing results in temporary modification of habitat and disturbance to birds (Jha 2015). Sundar & Choudhury (2005) documented the mortality of Sarus Crane due to collision to high tension electric wires in the Saman wetland complex. As per the study, nearly 1% of the total population died because of electrocution each year.  However, such a case was not recorded during the study period. Poaching is also reported in all the wetlands on a minor scale.

The present study recorded the presence of 126 species of birds from the Saman Wetland Complex. Out of the 126 reported species, seven species fall under the threatened categories by the IUCN Red List. The availability of varied habitat types of this region, like wetland shallow area, reed beds and agricultural fields attract many species of resident and migratory birds. Saman Wetland Complex is one of the ideal habitats for the Sarus Crane in India. About 73% of the Sarus population of Uttar Pradesh is found in four districts namely Mainpuri, Etawah, Etah, and Aligarh while Mainpuri has the highest number of counts (Maurya & Kumar 2014). Sarsai Nawar lake, a Ramsar site is a roosting site for the largest flock of Sarus Crane in India.

Based on earlier records, Kurra jheel was known to support more than 20,000 migratory waterbirds, but the current scenario is not the same. In a survey in 2008–2009 by BNHS, the count was not even 500 birds (Rahmani et al. 2016). In the present study, the maximum bird count was just 307 in November 2021. Thus, IBA status of Kurra is now questionable.

 

Notable observations

- In February 2020, a huge congregation of Wagtails, mainly Western Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava and Citrine Wagtail Motacilla citreola were recorded during dusk. Most probably it was a roosting population that settled in the agricultural field near the wetland.

- Murmuration of Rosy Starling Pastor roseus was observed in November 2021 at Saman BS.

- An opportunistic sighting of four individuals of Steppe Eagle was recorded while passing through the Saman BS in February 2020.

- Two nests of Black-necked Stork in Saman BS and one in Sarsai Nawar were observed in November 2021

 

 

Conclusion

 

Kuddaiya marshlands and Kurra are highly degraded due to anthropogenic activities and beyond restoration. Both have lost huge wetland areas and what remains now is just ponds. On the other hand, Sauj still  holds a considerable number of birds. Effective conservation efforts such as desilting of the lake, community conservation etc. can bring back the glory of this wetland. Saman BS and Sarsai Nawar are rich in diversity and support large congregations of migratory waterbirds. Both wetlands also support nesting habitats for resident birds including the threatened Sarus Crane and Black-necked Stork. Conservation measures are an absolute necessity to improve the habitat condition. With the coordinated efforts of local people and the forest department, bird tourism can flourish and will be helpful for the economic upliftment of people.

Based on the present study, it was felt that considerable detailed studies pertaining to various aspects of avian ecology in Saman Wetland Complex need to be conducted. Landscapes are facing habitat alterations due to urbanisation. Therefore, there is a need to conduct an intensive study to monitor the population dynamics of avifauna at the landscape level, dominated by human settlements and agricultural practices along with the drivers of habitat alteration. De-siltation of wetlands and removal of invasive aquatic plants are needed to be done with a scientific approach. The present study is expected to form baseline information for future studies on various aspects of avian ecology in the region and emphasizes the need of long-term qualitative and quantitative study in the area.

 

Table 1. List of threatened bird species reported from Saman Wetland Complex.

 

Common name

Scientific name

Family

IUCN status

1

Egyptian Vulture

Neophron percnopterus

Accipitridae

EN

2

Steppe Eagle

Aquila nipalensis

Accipitridae

EN

3

Common Pochard

Aythya ferina

Anatidae

VU

4

Sarus Crane

Antigone antigone

Gruidae

VU

5

Indian Spotted Eagle

Clanga hastata

Accipitridae

VU

6

Greater Spotted Eagle

Clanga clanga

Accipitridae

VU

7

Tawny Eagle

Aquila rapax

Accipitridae

VU

8

Red-necked Falcon

Falco chicquera

Falconidae

NT

9

Asian Woollyneck

Ciconia episcopus

Ciconiidae

NT

10

Black-headed Ibis

Threskiornis melanocephalus

Threskiornithidae

NT

11

Black-necked Stork

Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus

Ciconiidae

NT

12

Black-tailed Godwit

Limosa limosa

Scolopacidae

NT

13

Bonelli's Eagle

Aquila fasciata

Accipitridae

NT

14

Eurasian Curlew

Numenius arquata

Scolopacidae

NT

15

Ferruginous Duck

Aythya nyroca

Anatidae

NT

16

Indian Grey Hornbill

Ocyceros birostris

Bucerotidae

NT

17

Oriental Darter

Anhinga melanogaster

Anhingidae

NT

18

Painted Stork

Mycteria leucocephala

Ciconiidae

NT

 

 

Table 2. Shannon diversity index and species richness index of Saman Wetland Complex.

Wetland

Shannon diversity index

Species richness index

Sarsai Nawar

2.539

105

Saman BS

1.911

87

Sauj

2.012

64

Kurra

3.009

53

Kuddaiyya

2.591

35

 

 

Table 3. Relative diversity (RDi) of bird families recorded during the survey in Saman Wetland Complex.

 

Family

Number of species

RDi

1

Anatidae

17

13.49206349

2

Scolopacidae

12

9.523809524

3

Accipitridae

11

8.73015873

4

Ardeidae

8

6.349206349

5

Muscicapidae

7

5.555555556

6

Motacillidae

5

3.968253968

7

Ciconiidae

4

3.174603175

8

Charadriidae

4

3.174603175

9

Estrildidae

4

3.174603175

10

Rallidae

4

3.174603175

11

Phalacrocoracidae

3

2.380952381

12

Columbidae

3

2.380952381

13

Corvidae

3

2.380952381

14

Cisticolidae

3

2.380952381

15

Sturnidae

3

2.380952381

16

Alcedinidae

3

2.380952381

17

Falconidae

2

1.587301587

18

Threskiornithidae

2

1.587301587

19

Phasianidae

2

1.587301587

20

Jacanidae

2

1.587301587

21

Ramphastidae

2

1.587301587

22

Passeridae

2

1.587301587

23

Timaliidae

2

1.587301587

24

Anhingidae

1

0.793650794

25

Gruidae

1

0.793650794

26

Podicipedidae

1

0.793650794

27

Recurvirostridae

1

0.793650794

28

Glareolidae

1

0.793650794

29

Psittacidae

1

0.793650794

30

Cuculidae

1

0.793650794

31

Tytonidae

1

0.793650794

32

Upupidae

1

0.793650794

33

Coraciidae

1

0.793650794

34

Meropidae

1

0.793650794

35

Bucerotidae

1

0.793650794

36

Picidae

1

0.793650794

37

Dicruridae

1

0.793650794

38

Alaudidae

1

0.793650794

39

Pycnonotidae

1

0.793650794

40

Sylviidae

1

0.793650794

41

Ploceidae

1

0.793650794

 

 

For figures & image - - click here for full PDF

 

References

 

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BirdLife International (2021). Handbook of the Birds of the World and BirdLife International digital checklist of the birds of the world. Version 6. Accessed on 27th June 2022. http://datazone.birdlife.org/userfiles/file/Species/Taxonomy/HBW BirdLife_Checklist_v6_Dec21.zip

BirdLife International (2022). Country profile: India. Available from http://www.birdlife.org/datazone/country/india. Checked: 2022-06-27

Colin, B., M. Jones & S. Marsden (2000). Expedition Field Techniques Bird Survey. BirdLife International Press, Cambridge, 75 pp.

Grimmett, R. C. Inskipp & T. Inskipp (2011). Birds of the Indian Subcontinent. 2nd ed. Oxford University Press & Christopher Helm, London, 528 pp.

IUCN (2021). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2021-3. https://www.iucnredlist.org. Accessed on 26 June 2022.

Jha, K.K. (2015). Challenges in Sustainable Management of Wetland Based Sanctuaries of Uttar Pradesh with Reference to Avian diversity. Conference Paper. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/291354765_Challenges_in_Sustainable_Management_of_Wetland_Based_Sanctuaries_of_Uttar_Pradesh_with_Reference_to_Avian_diversity

Maurya, A. & J. Kumar (2014). Cry for Indian Sarus. Science Reporter 34–36

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Rahmani, A.R., M.Z. Islam & R.M. Kasambe (2016). Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas in India: Priority Sites for Conservation (Revised and updated). Bombay Natural History Society, Indian Bird Conservation Network, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and BirdLife International (U.K.), xii + 1992 pp.

Samson A., B. Ramakrishnan, S. Karthick, P. Santhosh Kumar, M. Ilakkia & A. Chitheena (2018). Diversity and status of avifauna in Doddabetta hills and surrounding areas of Udhagamandalam. Zoo’s Print 33(3): 23–36.

Sundar, K.S.G. & B.C. Choudhury (2005). Mortality of Sarus Cranes (Grus Antigone) Due to Electricity Wires In Uttar Pradesh, India. Environmental Conservation 32(3): 260-–269.

Sundar, G. (2006). Flock Size, Density and Habitat Selection of Four Large Waterbirds Species in an Agricultural Landscape in Uttar Pradesh, India: Implications for Management. Waterbirds 29(3): 365–374.

La Torre-Cuadros MDLÁ, S. Herrando-Pérez & K.R. Young (2007). Diversity and structural patterns for tropical montane and premontane forests of central Peru, with an assessment of the use of higher-taxon surrogacy. Biodiversity and Conservation 16(10): 2965–2988. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-007- 9155-9

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Annexure I. List of species with its highest number recorded during the survey in Saman Wetland Complex along with its IUCN Red List status.

 

Common name

Scientific name

IUCN Red List status

Saman Bird Sanctuary

Sarsai Nawar

Sauj Wetland

Kuddaiyya Marshland

Kurra Zheel

Order: Galliformes

Family Phasianidae (Megapods, Partridges, Pheasants)

1

Grey Francolin

Francolinus pondicerianus

LC

4

2

2

-

-

2

Indian Peafowl

Pavo cristatus

LC

-

2

-

-

5

Order: Anseriformes

Family Anatidae (Whistling-Ducks, Swans, Geese and Ducks)

3

Bar-headed Goose

Anser indicus

LC

-

4

-

-

-

4

Comb Duck

Sarkidiornis melanotos

LC

1

100

11

-

42

5

Common Pochard

Aythya ferina

VU

-

2000

-

-

-

6

Common Teal

Anas crecca

LC

70

34

-

10

-

7

Cotton Pygmy-goose

Nettapus coromandelianus

LC

1

-

-

-

-

8

Eurasian Wigeon

Mareca penelope

LC

4

50

-

8

-

9

Ferruginous Duck

Aythya nyroca

NT

19

10

-

14

-

10

Gadwall

Mareca strepera

LC

1000

300

-

35

-

11

Garganey

Spatula querquedula

LC

-

200

-

-

-

12

Greylag Goose

Anser anser

LC

60

64

1

-

-

13

Indian Spot-billed Duck

Anas poecilorhyncha

LC

-

1

-

-

-

14

Lesser Whistling-duck

Dendrocygna javanica

LC

500

150

100

117

150

15

Mallard

Anas platyrhynchos

LC

-

10

-

-

-

16

Northern Pintail

Anas acuta

LC

125

2000

200

2

-

17

Northern Shoveler

Spatula clypeata

LC

20

300

-

28

-

18

Tufted Duck

Aythya fuligula

LC

5

1

-

1

-

19

Red-crested Pochard

Netta rufina

LC

20

6

50

16

-

Order: Podicipediformes

Family Podicipedidae (Grebes)

20

Little Grebe

Tachybaptus ruficollis

LC

17

25

6

3

3

Order: Ciconiiformes

Family Ciconiidae (Storks)

21

Asian Woollyneck

Ciconia episcopus

NT

2

4

-

1

-

22

Black-necked Stork

Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus

NT

2

3

1

2

-

23

Painted Stork

Mycteria leucocephala

NT

5

16

4

-

6

24

Asian Openbill

Anastomus oscitans

LC

10

5

49

1

-

Order: Pelecaniformes

Family Threskiornithidae (Ibises and spoonbills)

25

Black-headed Ibis

Threskiornis melanocephalus

NT

60

68

5

-

8

26

Eurasian Spoonbill

Platalea leucorodia

LC

-

13

-

17

1

Family Ardeidae (Bitterns and Herons)

27

Black-crowned Night-Heron

Nycticorax nycticorax

LC

-

-

1

-

1

28

Grey Heron

Ardea cinerea

LC

12

10

2

1

2

29

Indian Pond Heron

Ardeola grayii

LC

18

50

5

-

52

30

Purple Heron

Ardea purpurea

LC

6

5

3

1

9

31

Cattle Egret

Bubulcus ibis

LC

11

30

1

-

2

32

Great Egret

Ardea alba

LC

6

25

2

-

6

33

Intermediate Egret

Ardea intermedia

LC

4

15

2

-

9

34

Little Egret

Egretta garzetta

LC

4

6

1

-

35

Order: Suliformes

Family Anhingidae (Anhingas)

35

Oriental Darter

Anhinga melanogaster

NT

14

25

5

6

6

Family Phalacrocoracidae (Cormorants)

36

Great Cormorant

Phalacrocorax carbo

LC

6

-

-

2

2

37

Indian Cormorant

Phalacrocorax fuscicollis

LC

22

2

-

-

5

38

Small Cormorant

Microcarbo niger

LC

62

50

25

17

24

Order: Falconiformes

Family Falconidae (Falcons)

39

Peregrine Falcon

Falco peregrinus

LC

-

1

-

-

-

40

Red-necked Falcon

Falco chicquera

NT

-

-

1

-

-

Order: Accipitriformes

Family Accipitridae (Osprey, Hawks, Eagles, Harriers, Vultures)

41

Bonelli's Eagle

Aquila fasciata

NT

2

3

-

-

-

42

Osprey

Pandion haliaetus

LC

-

1

-

-

-

43

Steppe Eagle

Aquila nipalensis

EN

-

1

-

-

-

44

Tawny Eagle

Aquila rapax

VU

-

1

-

-

-

45

Western Marsh Harrier

Circus aeruginosus

LC

5

2

-

1

2

46

Greater Spotted Eagle

Clanga clanga

VU

-

1

-

1

-

47

Indian Spotted Eagle

Clanga hastata

VU

-

1

1

-

-

48

Black Kite

Milvus migrans

LC

-

-

-

-

1

49

Black-winged Kite

Elanus caeruleus

LC

1

2

1

-

-

50

Long-legged Buzzard

Buteo rufinus

LC

-

-

1

-

-

51

Egyptian Vulture

Neophron percnopterus

EN

2

1

2

1

2

Order: Gruiformes

Family Rallidae (Rails, Crakes, Gallinules and Coots)

52

Common Coot

Fulica atra

LC

3000

500

40

12

20

53

Common Moorhen

Gallinula chloropus

LC

22

62

2

-

30

54

White-breasted Waterhen

Amaurornis phoenicurus

LC

17

2

1

-

2

55

Purple Swamphen

Porphyrio porphyrio

LC

19

39

7

7

50

Family Gruidae (Cranes)

56

Sarus Crane

Antigone antigone

VU

22

232

16

8

5

Order: Charadriiformes

Family Charadriidae (Plovers and Lapwings)

57

White-tailed Lapwing

Vanellus leucurus

LC

7

10

8

3

-

58

Grey-headed Lapwing

Vanellus cinereus

LC

5

-

-

-

-

59

Red-wattled Lapwing

Vanellus indicus

LC

38

30

15

4

10

60

Little Ringed Plover

Charadrius dubius

LC

-

1

-

-

-

Family Recurvirostridae (Stilts and Avocets)

61

Black-winged Stilt

Himantopus himantopus

LC

26

150

30

-

6

Family Jacanidae (Jacanas)

62

Bronze-winged Jacana

Metopidius indicus

LC

17

40

7

-

40

63

Pheasant-tailed Jacana

Hydrophasianus chirurgus

LC

4

20

21

-

-

Family Scolopacidae (Snipes, Curlews and Sandpipers)

64

Common Redshank

Tringa totanus

LC

30

50

8

3

2

65

Common Sandpiper

Actitis hypoleucos

LC

2

-

4

2

1

66

Common Snipe

Gallinago gallinago

LC

4

-

-

-

-

67

Green Sandpiper

Tringa ochropus

LC

1

5

7

3

-

68

Marsh Sandpiper

Tringa stagnatilis

LC

-

15

-

-

-

69

Wood sandpiper

Tringa glareola

LC

1

38

2

-

-

70

Eurasian Curlew

Numenius arquata

NT

5

-

-

-

-

71

Black-tailed Godwit

Limosa limosa

NT

-

25

-

-

-

72

Temminck's Stint

Calidris temminckii

LC

-

2

-

-

-

73

Ruff

Calidris pugnax

LC

239

23

-

-

-

74

Little Stint

Calidris minuta

LC

2

1

-

-

-

75

Common Greenshank

Tringa nebularia

LC

-

1

-

-

1

Family Glareolidae (Prantincoles and Coursers)

76

Little Pratincole

Glareola lactea

LC

-

13

-

-

-

Order: Columbiformes

Family Columbidae (Pigeons and Doves)

77

Eurasian Collared Dove

Streptopelia decaocto

LC

5

4

2

-

-

78

Laughing Dove

Streptopelia senegalensis

LC

-

1

-

-

-

79

Rock Dove

Columba livia

LC

6

50

5

6

-

Order: Psittaciformes

Family Psittacidae (Parrots and Hanging Parrots)

80

Rose-ringed Parakeet

Psittacula krameri

LC

2

3

-

-

1

Order: Cuculiformes

Family Cuculidae (Cuckoos, Malkohas and Coucals)

81

Greater Coucal

Centropus sinensis

LC

1

1

1

-

1

Order: Strigiformes

Family Tytonidae (Barn Owls); Strigidae (Typical Owls)

82

Spotted Owlet

Athene brama

LC

3

-

-

-

-

Order: Bucerotiformes

Family Upupidae (Hoopoes)

83

Common Hoopoe

Upupa epops

LC

2

2

-

-

-

Family Bucerotidae (Hornbills)

84

Indian Grey Hornbill

Ocyceros birostris

NT

1

2

-

-

-

Order: Coraciiformes

Family Coraciidae (Rollers)

85

Indian Roller

Coracias benghalensis

LC

1

-

2

-

1

Family Alcedinidae (Kingfisher)

86

Common Kingfisher

Alcedo atthis

LC

1

2

1

-

-

87

Pied Kingfisher

Ceryle rudis

LC

-

2

2

2

-

88

White-breasted Kingfisher

Halcyon smyrnensis

LC

8

9

3

-

2

Family Meropidae (Bee-Eaters)

89

Green Bee-eater

Merops orientalis

LC

1

2

-

-

-

Order: Piciformes

Family Ramphastidae (Barbets)

90

Brown-headed Barbet

Psilopogon zeylanicus

LC

1

-

-

-

-

91

Coppersmith Barbet

Psilopogon haemacephalus

LC

-

1

-

-

-

Family Picidae (Wryneck, Piculets and Woodpeckers)

 

92

Eurasian Wryneck

Jynx torquilla

LC

-

1

1

-

-

Order: Passeriformes

Family Dicruridae (Drongos)

93

Black Drongo

Dicrurus macrocercus

LC

24

18

25

-

1

Family Corvidae (Crows)

94

House Crow

Corvus splendens

LC

1

50

2

2

30

95

Large-billed Crow

Corvus macrorhynchos

LC

2

4

2

-

2

96

Rufous Treepie

Dendrocitta vagabunda

LC

1

2

-

-

-

Family Alaudidae (Larks)

97

Oriental Skylark

Alauda gulgula

LC

-

1

-

-

-

Family Pycnonotidae (Bulbuls)

98

Red-vented Bulbul

Pycnonotus cafer

LC

-

-

-

-

1

Family Cisticolidae (Cisticolas, Prinias and Allies)

99

Ashy Prinia

Prinia socialis

LC

7

1

1

1

-

100

plain Prinia

Prinia inornate

LC

6

3

1

1

-

101

Common Tailorbird

Orthotomus sutorius

LC

2

-

-

-

-

Family Sylviidae (Warblers)

102

Lesser Whitethroat

Sylvia curruca

LC

-

-

1

-

-

Family Timaliidae (Babblers)

103

Jungle Babbler

Turdoides striata

LC

-

4

5

-

-

104

Large Grey Babbler

Argya malcolmi

LC

-

8

2

-

-

Family Sturnidae (Starlings and Mynas)

105

Asian Pied Starling

Gracupica contra

LC

65

50

12

-

22

106

Common Myna

Acridotheres tristis

LC

1

2

3

-

4

107

Bank Myna

Acridotheres ginginianus

LC

1

-

-

-

-

Family Muscicapidae (Chats and Old World Flycatcher)

108

Bluethroat

Luscinia svecica

LC

4

1

-

-

-

109

Brown Rockchat

Oenanthe fusca

LC

2

1

-

-

-

110

Common Stonechat

Saxicola torquatus

LC

-

1

-

-

-

111

Pied Bushchat

Saxicola caprata

LC

6

1

1

-

-

112

Indian Robin

Saxicoloides fulicatus

LC

1

1

2

-

-

113

Desert Wheatear

Oenanthe deserti

LC

-

1

-

-

-

114

Oriental magpie Robin

Copsychus saularis

LC

1

1

1

-

-

Family Passeridae (Sparrows, Petronias and Snowfinches)

115

Chestnut-shouldered Bush-sparrow

Gymnoris xanthocollis

LC

-

-

2

-

1

116

House Sparrow

Passer domesticus

LC

-

-

-

-

30

Family Ploceidae (Weavers)

117

Black-breasted Weaver

Ploceus benghalensis

LC

7

1

-

-

-

Family Estrildidae (Avadavats and Munias)

118

Scaly-breasted Munia

Lonchura punctulata

LC

-

1

-

-

-

119

Tricoloured Munia

Lonchura malacca

LC

-

1

-

-

-

120

Red Avadavat

Amandava amandava

LC

3

1

-

-

-

121

Indian Silverbill

Euodice malabarica

LC

1

1

-

-

1

Family Motacillidae (Pipits and Wagtails)

122

White-browed Wagtail

Motacilla maderaspatensis

LC

-

-

-

-

2

123

Western Yellow Wagtail

Motacilla flava

LC

1

15

1

-

10

124

White Wagtail

Motacilla alba

LC

-

-

-

-

6

125

Citrine Wagtail

Motacilla citreola

LC

2

3

22

-

1

126

Paddyfield Pipit

Anthus rufulus

LC

-

2

-

-

2

LC—Least Concern | NT—Near Threatened | VU—Vulnerable | EN—Endangered.