Conservation of Migratory Birds

Conservation of migratory birds

Over the years, man has been exploiting natural resources for his own benefit. Owing to this reason, several species of birds including migratory birds are threatened with extinction. This is one of the major reasons for the conservation of migratory birds.

What are migratory birds?

Migrating birds are usually birds that travel from north to south or east to west, following their food, and the weather conditions.

Migratory birds come to India from about 29 countries between September and October during the winter migration season. For example, Pallikaranai in Chennai attracts many flamingoes, ducks, and waders.

Migration is a regular movement of birds from one region to another and this is because of different reasons, such as the climate change, over-hunting by humans, the availability of food in due season, and many others.

Birds need to migrate in order to find food and also to reduce competition for food due to the high population of animals in that particular region. They also need to grow feathers and find new nesting areas for their young ones.

Importance of migratory birds

Migratory birds provide an important service to the natural world in many ways. These birds serve as pollinators and pest control agents, and they disperse seeds by eating and defecating them in new places. Migratory birds also consume insects and small mammals.

From a biological standpoint, birds are of great importance to the environment. Without them, other insects and animals would be overpopulated which can lead to disasters such as a Locust attack.

The birds also play a very important role in the environmental cycle. The migratory birds being particularly so, especially ducks, as they help in the transportation of fish eggs from one water body to another. The seabirds like terns and gulls, which feed on dead fish, are an important source of fertilizer from their droppings.

Threats to Migratory Birds in India

Loss of biodiversity- India is a country of many birds. The migratory diversity of birds here is quite high, and there are several species of endemic, endangered, and threatened species. However, the population of these birds is declining at an alarming rate due to habitat loss and disturbance caused by human activities.

Declining water sources: Declining water sources, extensive clearing of land for agriculture, and poaching are some of the main threats to India’s migratory birds.

Illegal killing: Illegal killing is one of the major threats to migratory birds in India. Deliberate or incidental killing is one of the most important factors. Deliberate killing is a direct threat that affects migratory species ranging from windsuckers to large raptors during passage, while incidental killing is of concern within the breeding grounds and wintering grounds due to indiscriminate use of pesticides and other chemical, electrical and mechanical methods.

Stopover habitat loss: Stopover habitat loss is a major threat to migratory birds in India. A range of factors is contributing to this habitat loss including the construction of buildings, buildings, pollution, industrial agriculture, and development of infrastructure.

Collision: The threats facing migratory birds are not just direct, they are also indirect. Collision with man-made structures - power lines, buildings, towers and windmills - cause a large proportion of the mortality of these birds.

Poisoning by pesticides: Pesticide poisoning is a globally threatening problem for migratory birds that breed outside Europe but spend their winters within its boundaries. Most pesticide poisoning incidents occur in wintering areas, mainly south and west Asia.

Increasing illumination: Increased illumination affects birds mostly during nighttime hours. The bright lights that lit up cities at night were found to disorient and sometimes kill migratory birds, as they circle around the light source not realizing it is artificial and lost their bearings. Exposing birds to artificial light sources also increased nighttime predation rates for migratory birds as they were more visible to night-flying predators.