Chhattisgarh’s biggest ‘Birds of Chhattisgarh’ report has been released and published in the noted science journal Research Gate. The comprehensive coverage of the state done with the involvement of birdwatchers documented 365 species across Chhattisgarh. A lot of work has been done earlier on Birds of Chhattisgarh, yet there was a need for a more comprehensive coverage. Hence, a dedicated project to document birds of Chhattisgarh was launched in 2017 by Bird Court India in association with Chhattisgarh Forest & Climate Change Department. The research authored by senior ornithologist AMK Bharos and Conservation Research of Wilderness Foundation (C.R.O.W) member Ravi Naidu contains a dedicated documentation encompassing collection and collation of existing data, conducting survey specifically in regions not covered enough earlier, roping in birdwatchers and naturalists to contribute their observations and compiling all the gathered data into one report.

 

Around 82 per cent of the list was uploaded by AMK Bharos and a large amount of data was generated through surveys by researcher Ravi Naidu. In all 18,793 observations from 560 lists, accounting for 474 hours of active surveying over 2,599 kilometres led to recording 365 species in this manner over the time period of the project. The project was greatly benefitted from large data gathered by birders from across the state. Birders shared 52.100 observations from 2466 lists and documented 298 species. An overview of the survey carried out in the State reveals presence of 365 species across the 27 districts of the state including districts like Bastar, Jashpur, Raipur, Janjgir-Champa, Kabirdham, Surajpur and Gariyaband contributing about 75% of the species found.

 

The 365 species belong to 18 Orders and 75 Families of birds. Eighteen of the species found in this survey are of global conservation concern. These are listed below (under different IUCN Red List categories). Indian Vulture (Gyps indicus), White-rumped Vulture (Gyps bengalensis) Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus) Common Pochard (Aythya ferina), Greater Spotted Eagle (Clanga clanga), Indian Spotted Eagle (Clanga hastate), Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus), Sarus Crane (Antigone antigone) Black-headed Ibis (Threskiornis melanocephalus), Black-tailed Godwit (Limosa limosa), Eurasian Curlew (Numenius arquata), Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca), Malabar Pied Hornbill (Anthracoceros coronatus), Oriental Darter (Anhinga melanogaster), Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala), Pallid Harrier (Circus macrourus), River Lapwing Vanellus duvaucelii), River Tern (Sterna aurantia). The Survey found a few rare species as well as first records from Chhattisgarh such as sightings of Lesser Crested Tern in Kondagaon; Grey-headed Lapwing: a congregation of 26 birds in Jashpur; Ruby-cheeked Sunbird in Bastar and Jashpur; Black Stork and Greater Yellownape in Bastar; White-Rumped Vulture and Indian Vulture in Bijapur; Egyptian Vulture in Bilaspur District.

 

Adjutant Stork and Sarus Crane were recorded in Surajpur and Surguja districts respectively: both species are known to breed in these areas; however, only Adjutant Stork was found nesting. Workshops were held in various districts of the State during the course of the project. Out of 454 species on records for the state, 365 species were recorded during the survey out of which 111 are migratory and 250 are resident. The abundance of species was recorded in Anatidae (4.65%), Scolopacidae (4.39%), Accipitridae (6.84%), Muscicapidae (5.47%). This includes both resident and migratory species. We recorded 18 threatened species.