275 bird species counted during survey at corbett tiger reserve

Subject :Environment

Section: Protected Areas in news

About the survey report:

Survey conducted by: World Wide Fund (WWF) India, Tiger Conservation Foundation and Village Volunteer Protection Force
The report is compiled by Oriental Trials, an NGO working for conservation of wildlife.
About 275 bird species, including two critically endangered, four vulnerable ones and two endangered species, were counted during the bird survey at Corbett Tiger Reserve in Nainital.

Key findings:

Two species, namely white-rumped vulture and red-headed vulture, considered critically endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) list, have been documented in the survey, which covered the vast range of landscape in the reserve, including grassland, dense forest, rivers and hilly terrains.
Two endangered species — Pallas’s fish-eagle, Egyptian vulture were also counted by the researchers in the survey.
Four vulnerable bird species — great hornbill, great slaty woodpecker, grey-crowned prinia and river tern — have also been counted in the survey.
About 10 near-threatened bird species — river lapwing, red-breasted parakeet, oriental darter, lesser fish-eagle, Himalayan griffon, great thick-knee, gray-headed fish-eagle, black-necked stork, Asian woolley-necked stork and Alexandrine parakeet — have also been found at the reserve.
About 256 species documented in the survey are considered to be of least concern by the IUCN.

About Corbett Tiger Reserve:

It is located in the Nainital district of Uttarakhand which encompasses the Patli Dun valley.
The Ramganga, Sonanadi, Palain and Mandal, and Kosi rivers form the prominent hydrological resource for the Corbett.
The core area of the reserve contains the Corbett National Park and the Sonanadi Wildlife Sanctuary is part of its buffer area.
Flora: The trees which contribute to the Flora of Corbett consist of evergreen Sal and its combined trees, the Sheesham, and the Kanju found extensively on the ridges.
Fauna: Tiger, Leopard, Elephant, Hog deer, spotted deer, Samber etc.