5% of birds in India are endemic, reveals Zoological Survey of India publication

Subject: Environment

Section: Species in news

In the news:

A recent publication by the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) points out that about 5% of birds found in the country are endemic and are not reported in other parts of the world.

Details of the report:

The publication, titled 75 Endemic Birds of India, was recently released on the 108th foundation day of the ZSI.
The 75 bird species belong to 11 different orders, 31 families, and 55 genera, and exhibit remarkable distribution patterns across various regions in India.
The highest number of endemic species have been recorded in the Western Ghats, with 28 bird species.
Some of the interesting species recorded in the country’s bio-geographic hotspot are the:
- Malabar Grey Hornbill (Ocyceros griseus);
- Malabar Parakeet (Psittaculacolumboides);
- Ashambu Laughing Thrush (Montecinclameridionalis); and
- White-bellied Sholakili (Sholicolaalbiventris).
25 bird species are endemic to theAndaman and Nicobar Islands:
- Endemism in the Andaman group of islands must have developed because of the geographical isolation of the region.
- Some interesting bird species which are only found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are:
  - Nicobar Megapode (Megapodius nicobariensis);
  - Nicobar Serpent Eagle (Spilornisklossi);
  - Andaman Crake (Rallinacanningi); and
  - Andaman Barn Owl (Tyto deroepstorffi).
Four species of birds are endemic to the Eastern Himalayas, and one each to the Southern Deccan plateau and central Indian forest.

Bird diversity in India:

India is home to 1,353 bird species, which represents approximately 12.40% of global bird diversity. Of these 1,353 bird species, 78 (5%) are endemic to the country.
Of the 78 species,three species have not been recorded in the last few decades.
They are the:
- Manipur Bush Quail (Perdiculamanipurensis), listed as ‘Endangered’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species with its last recorded sighting in 1907;
- Himalayan Quail (Ophrysiasuperciliosa), listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ with its last recorded sighting in 1876; and
- Jerdon’s Courser (Rhinoptilusbitorquatus), listed as ‘Critically Endangered’ with its last confirmed sighting in 2009.

The publication also throws light on the conservation status of these endemic species:

Of the 78 endemic species,25 are classified as ‘Threatened’ by the IUCN.
Three species (BugunLiocichla or Liocichlabugunorum; Himalayan Quail or Ophrysiasuperciliosa; Jerdon’s Courser or Rhinoptilusbitorquatus) are listed as ‘Critically Endangered’.
Five of the endemic birds in India are categorised as ‘Endangered’, and 17 as ‘Vulnerable’, while 11 are categorised as ‘Near Threatened’ on the IUCN Red List.

Zoological Survey of India (ZSI):

The Zoological Survey of India (ZSI), a subordinate organization of the Ministry of Environment and Forests was established in 1916.
It is a national centre for faunistic survey and exploration of the resources leading to the advancement of knowledge on the exceptionally rich faunal diversity of the country.
It has its headquarters at Kolkata and 16 regional stations located in different geographic locations of the country.