During wildlife week October, 2019, here is some food for thought for all IWC members.

Wildlife Humour

A chat session with BNHS education officer

The Kaziranga National Park boasts of the largest population of the world’s endangered “one horned Indian rhinoceros”. The Park also sustains half the world’s population of genetically pure Wild Water Buffaloes, Wild elephants and perhaps the densest population of tigers. It is also a bird watcher’s paradise and home to some 500 species of birds – The Crested Serpent Eagle, Palla’s Fishing Eagle, Greyheaded Fishing Eagle, Swamp Partridge, Bar-headed goose, Whistling Teal, Bengal Florican, Storks, Herons and Pelicans are some of the species found here

This trip is an easy extension to anyone visiting Arunachal or Assam in North East India.Himalayanoutback kaziranga-national-park-safari

Bird Feeding, Bird Bath | Nature Forever

In this summer don’t forget to feed and give appropriate water to wildlife. Especially, water is one of the most important things birders can add to their backyard to attract birds. All bird species need water, and adding one or more water features to your yard will quickly attract feathered friends.  Birds need water for two reasons: drinking and preening. Water helps keep a bird’s body cool both from the inside and outside. Water baths can also remove dust, loose feathers, parasites and other debris from a bird’s plumage. Offering water in your backyard will attract more birds than just food sources, since birds that would not normally visit feeders can be tempted by water features.  Any water is an improvement on a dry backyard, but moving water will attract more birds because the motion catches their eye and they can hear any dripping, sprinkles or splashes. Apologies for not using original video sounds as its got windy sound so much in recording. 

Hope you liked this video. Keep Nature alive and fruitful 😇

email: kaushaldesai123@gmail.com 

Other related video:

House Sparrow (Bird Lover - Short Film)(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqWjAretpNs&t=4s)B

BabySparrow (https://youtu.be/MwUrYzTpEL)

Is the Himalayan Monal the Peacock of the Hills?

Watch our trip report to Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary and Sarahan at the

https://youtu.be/5DMmzNTOrzY

First release of captive-bred* vultures in Asia

Nepal and SAVE witnessed a further landmark for Asian vulture conservation on 17th September 2018, when the Government of Nepal and national and international conservation organisations released 12 critically endangered white-rumped vultures Gyps bengalensis, including the first eight birds actually hatched within the conservation breeding programme. Releases last year of birds reared (but not hatched) in the programme have so far shown very promising signs of survival and success, and in addition, 20 wild birds have now been satellite-tagged  - 11 in 2017, and a further 9 just prior to this release.

The first gate opens and several birds immediately joined the wild birds at the carcass outside. Photo: BCN

The work is a truly collaborative effort of many partners, led by Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) and the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) together with Chitwan National Park and the Department of National Parks & Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC). The Director General of DNPWC and a small group of officials, scientists and community leaders watched as the BCN team quietly opened the doors of the release aviary using a remote pulley system. Six of the twelve vultures exited the release aviary and joined the wild birds feeding on the buffalo carcass almost immediately, and all twelve came out within half an hour. Six of the birds later returned inside the aviary where they spent the night, but immediately flew out again the following morning. The release site is at the village of Pithauli, Nawalparasi, close to Nepal’s Chitwan National Park.

“This is a world first for the release of white-rumped vultures actually bred in the Nepal breeding centre and is a major step for establishing secure wild populations now that we are confident that the veterinary use of diclofenac has been stopped in this country” said Mr Man Bahadur Khadka, DG, DNPWC.

The previous week, an expert team from the UK (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and Forestry Commission) together with the BCN team had fitted satellite tags to the birds with carefully designed harnesses (using the thoracic cross-hatch method), ready so they can be monitored after the release, and give us vital information about their movements, and any problems or causes of mortality . The team also caught and tagged nine wild white-rumped vultures, which are already being monitored, to compare their movements and behaviour with the released birds.

Fitting the satellite tag and wing-tags a week before the release. Photo: BCN

“The monitoring of the satellite-tagged birds is an important way to understand how well the birds are surviving, and to assess the safety of the “Vulture Safe Zone” said Ishana Thapa, CEO of BCN.  “If these and the previously tagged birds all survive then this is a further sign that the vulture conservation efforts are working”. Krishna Bhusal, BCN’s Vulture Conservation Program Officer of BCN added: “Releasing vultures, hatched in captivity, in this location, combines our in situ and ex situ efforts to save these birds, and the process of keeping the birds in the pre-release aviary for several months before release allows them to adjust and interact with wild birds - This is an exciting day for me and all Nepal”.

The officials slowly open the first gate of the release aviary using the remote pulley. Photo: BCN

Chitwan’s Chief Conservation Officer, Bed Kumar Dhakal said “We are proud that the vulture breeding at the Breeding Centre in Chitwan National Park has taken off, with nine chicks last year and six more in 2018”.  Jemima Parry Jones, UK birds of prey expert from the International Centre for Birds of Prey (ICBP) who advises the project said “Breeding and releasing these birds is a great credit to all involved, and shows how a combination of international and national partners can work successfully together to achieve very significant results. The huge success of the VSZs has meant we can have these amazing releases and aim towards all the vultures being back out in the wild by 2023”. Craig Pritchard, senior vet representing ZSL said how the birds all appeared to be in very good condition, and how pleased and privileged he felt to be part of this joint collaborative effort.

Briefing and speeches of the release immediately beforehand. Photo: BCN

Mr DB Choudhary, the local conservation community leader added “The Nawalparasi community is proud that their area has been selected for this historic release, following a series of vulture conservation initiatives in the area including running the vulture-safe feeding site here since 2006”

Chris Bowden, RSPB and Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction (SAVE) Programme Manager said “The successful removal of veterinary diclofenac across Nepal thanks to a lot of hard work, is the real reason behind the success so far and without this we couldn’t have gone ahead. These are the first ever Asian vultures to have been hatched and bred within a breeding programme and taken to the concluding phase of release to the wild. This illustrates the rationale behind these efforts and if enough birds survive without encountering killer veterinary drugs, we will be on track to release all the birds by 2023”

The vulture conservation work in Nepal is carried out with the full support of DNPWC, and led by BCN. The breeding centre was established in 2008 and is jointly managed by NTNC and Chitwan National Park. The main funding (and technical) support has come from the RSPB, but significant resources also come from all organisations involved as well as the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) who provide veterinary support and helped with funds for the release aviary, and the International Centre for Birds of Prey (ICBP) in the UK.

Flying free. Photo: Rajendra Gurung BCN

Calendar of the Nepal white-rumped vulture release programme so far:

• April 2017: Transfer of the first 6 captive-reared* birds from the breeding centre to the release aviary.                                                  Trapped, satellite-tagged and released 6 wild white-rumped vultures

• November 2017: First release of 6 captive-reared birds.  (Note five of the six released birds still alive and well after 10 months, but one was lost, possibly predated by a leopard)

Caught and tagged 5 more wild birds.

• April 2018: Transferred 12 vultures from the breeding centre to the release aviaries.

• September 2018: Released the first 8 captive-bred birds*, plus a further 4 captive-reared birds.                                                                        Also tagged and released 9 more wild birds.

• There is now a total of 37 satellite tagged white rumped vultures, 20 wild birds and 17 released. All were caught or released in Nawalparasi in Nepal.

*Captive reared vultures are birds that came in as chicks collected from wild nests (in 2009 and 2010) reared and placed in the breeding centre for the breeding programme.

* Captive bred vultures are the offspring of those captive reared birds, hatched and parent reared in the breeding programme.

For more information on the Saving Asia’s Vultures from Extinction (SAVE) partnership and further news updates check www.save-vultures.org  and www.birdlifenepal.org

Many IWC members send queries about wildlife conservation as a career choice.   Many youngsters have great passion but find there is a lack of opportunities to qualify with an"appropriate" degree.   There is also a lack of openings in general.  

I recently interviewed Shaleen Attre, a passionate wildlife lover.  With no "Science background" she found it impossible to get admission for any environmental degree courses in India.   Her vast field experience working with NGOs in wildlife area did not count when it came to admission.

Here is the video recording. Watch it at the link

https://youtu.be/y5Nw5-aKO78

Safety & Bird Hazard Management/Control

at Mumbai Airport

Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport provides an ideal grassland habitat for many bird species. A number of bird species are attracted to the airport to feed, perch, roost and breed; this includes birds of prey, scavengers, & the ones that feed on insects and plant material. The airport is also surrounded by slums where, many meat shops, slaughtering of animals is done and waste and garbage disposal system is not done properly and also their big open nallahs provide an attractive environment for birds.

WHAT IS BIRD STRIKE?

Bird strike is the term used to describe the collision of an aircraft with a bird. Collisions involving other animals are also recorded as animal strikes. All suspected or confirmed strikes are reported to Director General of Civil Aviation.

PREDOMINANT BIRD SPECIES

Species most commonly involved in the bird strike incidents at Mumbai International Airport include Pariah Kite, Pigeons, Egrets, Owls, Myna, Red-Wattled Lapwing, Crows and Bats. Species such as, Sandpiper, Black Eagle, Indian Pond Heron are also regularly observed at the airport but rarely struck by aircraft.

Different species of birds occupy and utilize different sectors of the environment and therefore, pose different risks to aircraft. For example, birds that hover above the ground searching for prey (eg Pariah Kite, Eagle) pose a risk to aircraft during landing or take off. Bird species, such as Egrets, Crows & Pigeons form flocks which create the risk of multiple bird strikes. Other species, such as pigeons, sparrows feed on the ground around taxiways and may be struck by taxiing aircraft. As a result each species needs to be managed differently.

IMPACT OF BIRD STRIKES

The primary risk associated with bird strike is the hazard posed to aviation safety. Bird strikes can cause significant damage to aircraft, aircraft   crashes and potentially the loss of human life. Colliding with a bird can cause millions of dollars damage to aircraft engines and turbines as well as contributing to airline costs due to grounding of aircraft for repair. It is also important to note the loss of the birds life as a result of a strike.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF MUMBAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT LIMITED

MIAL, as the airport operator, is responsible for and committed to ensuring passenger safety. Under the International Civil Aviation Safety Regulations and Director General of Civil Aviation the airport is required to reduce the risks associated with the bird strike.

WHAT IS DONE TO REDUCE THE RISK OF BIRD STRIKE?

MIAL has put in place management strategies to ensure airport operations are conducted safely. A Wildlife Hazard Management Policy has been developed and implemented at Mumbai Airport which puts in place measures to reduce hazards associated with all wildlife. The most important objective is to maintain the grassland habitat around the runway in such a way so that birds are not encouraged to feed in areas close to the runways and taxiways. For example, the grass is mowed regularly to a height (30-20 cms) that discourages birds that feed on bulbs and worms; weeds that are known food source for birds are minimized; and drains are kept clear of refuse which could attract birds.

Certain tree and shrub species used in landscaping may also potentially attract more birds to the vicinity of the airport. Therefore, the Environment Department of MIAL advises and approves the landscaping plans for new developments at Mumbai Airport. MIAL has even produced Landscaping Guidelines that provide a preferred plant list to tenants and developers alike.

The Wildlife Officers employed by MIAL also have an important role in bird management and a three tier approach of  – 1) Precaution  2) Prevention and 3) Remedial action is adopted. If birds are posing a risk to aircraft and passenger safety, bird scarers deployed alongside the runway length use scare methods by exploding fire crackers in an attempt to disperse the flock and clear the birds away from the runways and taxiways. Wildlife Officers also take their vehicles with bird scaring guns and cartridges which are used to disperse the flock. These cartridges produce a loud bang when fired which can help scare birds away from the immediate area. MIAL has also placed Sound Devices (Super Pro Amp), which make loud explosive sounds at limited intervals, to scare birds in the vicinity of runway.

Airfield Environment Management Committee meeting, chaired by State Environment Secretary  held at airport and attended by MCGM, MIAL, Airlines, DGCA, Forest and NGO’s. Wildlife Hazard section also conducting monthly joint inspection with BMC officials of all wards adjacent to CSI Airport.

• 100% of venues with captive elephants, tigers, dolphins or civet cats didn’t meet basic needs of animals in captivity
• 80% of venues with primates didn’t meet the basic needs of captive wild animals

• All dolphins were kept in severely inadequate conditions – one pool estimated to be 10X20 metres and three metres deep housed four bottlenose dolphins
• Dolphins at one venue have had their teeth filed down or removed entirely to ensure they are unable to injure swimmers
• All of the elephant venues offered elephant rides - elephants suffer a cruel and intensive training process that involves severe restraint. Severe pain is also often inflicted to speed up the process and quickly establish dominance. This highly traumatic experience will stay with the elephant forever
• Nearly 15% of elephants displayed stereotypies – abnormal repetitive behaviours – including swaying and foot shuffling – which indicate distress and suffering
• All venues with orangutans offered selfie experiences. Forced to entertain queues of tourists, many of these animals lacked freedom of movement, opportunities for social interaction and any stimulating activities.