Importance of migratory birds in an era of climate change
- January 4, 2022
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
No Comments
Importance of migratory birds in an era of climate change
Subject – Environment
Context – As many as 1,349 species of birds have been recorded as of 2019, of which 78 are endemic to the country and 212 species are globally threatened
Concept –
- Migratory birds are seasonal guests with positive impacts. Birds from 29 countries fly to India every year. The country witnesses incoming of large flocks during September-October signifying the beginning of migration.
- As many as 1,349 species of birds have been recorded as of 2019, of which 78 are endemic to the country and 212 species are globally threatened, according to the Government of India.
Impediments for migratory birds
- Migratory birds require nesting places and sufficient food for successful broods. Accelerated habitat loss during the last decade, including decreased area under water bodies, wetlands, natural grasslands and forests have proved to be major impediments for them.
- Overexploitation, unsustainable use of natural resource, population explosion along with increased weather variabilities and climate change has resulted in loss of biodiversity.
- These factors have also adversely impacted the entire life cycle and survival of migratory birds.
Central Asian Flyway
- Migratory bird species are known to be indicators for the flyway region, as they use different biomes and habitats and face different pressures along the migration route.
- The Central Asian Flyway covers 30 countries, including India, at the tail end with huge landmass and habitat variations, especially the wetlands.
- The Central Asian Flyway (CAF), Central Asian-Indian Flyway, or Central Asian-South Asian Flyway is a flyway covering a large continental area of Eurasia between the Arctic Ocean and the Indian Ocean and the associated island chains.
- As daylight shrinks and food supply dwindles at the breeding sites, the birds take the cue and start migrating towards wintering sites in the South. The return journey begins in March or April.
- Migration is also an adaptation mechanism to help birds overcome weather adversities and unavailability of food in colder regions. The importance of bird migrations on the health of the ecosystems is well-established.
Important Sites of migratory birds –
- Pallikaranai in Chennai attracts a large number of flamingoes, ducks and waders.
- Pulicat Lake on the Tamil Nadu-Andhra border hosts flamingoes;
- Ducks and waders can be seen in Chilika lagoon in Odisha.
- Other notable sites to see migratory birds are the Keoladeo National Park in Bharatpur in Rajasthan and Khijadia Bird Sanctuary in Jamnagar in Gujarat.
Some examples of migratory birds are –
- Spotted flycatcher
- Rufous-tailed scrub robin
- European roller
They migrate through a large part of western India and over winter in Africa.
- Amur Falcons pass through India in December.
- Siberian Cranes come to India in winter.
Importance of migratory birds
- Such birds raising broods end up acting as pest control agents by devouring insects and other organisms that harm the environment and crops.
- Locust attack is one such disaster that stems from that absence of birds.
- Migratory birds help in dispersal of seeds, leading to maintenance of biodiversity along their routes.
- Ducks can transport fish eggs in their guts to new water bodies.
- The droppings of birds, also known as guano, are rich in nitrogen and act as organic fertilizers.
- Egg shells can add calcium and other minerals.
- Migratory birds form both prey and predator bases in ecosystems seasonally and can, therefore, have an ecological impact.
- Prevalence of migratory birds helps analyse the state of environment in an area.
Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals
- The Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, also known as the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) or the Bonn Convention, is an international agreement that aims to conserve migratory species throughout their ranges.
- The Agreement was signed under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme and is concerned with conservation of wildlife and habitats on a global scale.
- Signed in 1979 in Bonn, West Germany, the Convention entered into force in 1983. As of September 2020, there are 131 Member States to the Convention.
- The depositary is the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany.
- The CMS is the only global, and United Nations-based, intergovernmental organization established exclusively for the conservation and management of terrestrial, aquatic and avian migratory species.
- Under this convention, migratory species threatened with extinction are listed on Appendix I and Parties strive towards strictly protecting these animals, conserving or restoring the places where they live, mitigating obstacles to migration and controlling other factors that might endanger them.
- Migratory species that need conservation and management or would significantly benefit from international co-operation are listed in Appendix II of the Convention.
India and CMS
- India hosted the 13th Conference of Parties (COP) of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) in February, 2020 at Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
- The theme of CMS COP-13 is ‘Migratory species connect the planet and we welcome them home’.
- The mascot for CMS COP-13 is ‘Gibi – The Great Indian Bustard’.
- It is a critically endangered species (according to the IUCN) and has been accorded the highest protection status (listed in Schedule I) under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
- India has signed a non legally binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with CMS on the conservation and management of Siberian Cranes (1998), Marine Turtles (2007), Dugongs (2008) and Raptors (2016).