Winged visitors bank on Yamuna: Ecological threats worry birders; survey teams spot 131 species

NEW DELHI: Over 9,000 birds crossed 131 taxon were spotted on Yamuna floodplains successful the superior during the Asian Waterbird Census this weekend.The survey, carried retired by a radical of astir 20 birders successful collaboration with eBird, an online avian database, flagged respective ecological threats to the habitat, including amerciable soil mining connected the floodplains, predation by stray dogs, dumping of operation and demolition debris arsenic good arsenic integrative discarded on the river.Four teams of birders surveyed a 22-km agelong from Wazirabad Barrage to Okhla Barrage. Black-headed gulls (2,500) dominated the count, followed by 1,700 barn swallows. Pied avocet (136), ruddy shelduck (112), achromatic wagtail (108) and location sparrow (90) were besides spotted. The birders highlighted situation degradation of these birds due to the fact that of removal of aquatic reeds, cultivation connected the riverbed and unfastened burning of discarded on the bank.

They besides flagged declining h2o prime of the stream due to the fact that of sewage and agrochemical runoff.

Pankaj Gupta, Delhi-NCR task coordinator of Asian Waterbird Census eBird, said, "If the information of Yamuna floodplains is not improved, determination is apt to beryllium a diminution successful the fig of waterbirds successful future."Akash Gulalia, manager of Amaltas Nature Walks, said that the stream ecosystem faces a monolithic menace owed to expanding cultivation onshore connected the riverbed and rampant usage of chemic fertiliser successful them.

"Cutting and clearing of aquatic and riparian vegetation has near small abstraction for these birds to breed. Illegal mining is different large issue," said Gulalia. Apart from Yamuna floodplains, the birders volition transportation retired surveys successful smaller wetlands successful northbound Delhi, including Rohini, aboriginal this month. Sultanpur, Chandu, Jhanjrola, Bhindawas, Dhigal, Mandothi, Okhla Bird Sanctuary, Surajpur, Dhanuari and Dadri wetlands volition besides beryllium covered. The census is coordinated by Wetlands International, a planetary organisation that works to prolong and reconstruct wetlands and their resources, and is carried retired successful respective countries each January.