India begins national assessment of 1,211 bird species to protect wetlands
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The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) launched a collaborative national assessment to evaluate the conservation status of 1,211 bird species across India.
Experts began the review on 19 October 2026, opening more than 100 preliminary assessments for study. The project aims to identify where birds live, estimate population numbers, and track how these populations change over time. The assessment focuses on how changing environments like drained marshes and pesticides affect bird survival.
For example, the Sarus Crane, the world's tallest flying bird, relies on flooded fields and village ponds to breed. While Uttar Pradesh holds an estimated 19,000-plus Sarus Cranes, the bird faces a high risk of extinction in the wild. WTI works with farmers and local volunteers known as Sarus Mitras to monitor nests and protect these habitats outside of official wildlife reserves.
Other species face different threats, such as the Marbled Duck, which travels to India for winter and faces habitat loss in states like Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab. The Grey Plover, a bird that travels from the Arctic to India's coastline, shows conflicting data regarding its risk level. While one assessment labels it as a species of least concern, another report indicates a 78.99% decline in its long-term population trend in India.
Experts use these findings to determine how to better manage wetlands to support both bird populations and local communities.
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