As a child, I always cherished looking at the birds flying and chirping around my house. Sparrows and kingfishers attracted me the most. The sparrows lived in small wooden boxes placed by my father on the walls of our house; whereas kingfishers made surprise visits every few months to fish in the Hanumante River beside our house. I also remember owls and parrots resting on the branches of green trees. Unfortunately, by now, most of the trees in our locality are gone, and so are the birds. Crows have taken over the area, and only some fortunate people get to see other species of birds. Where have these beautiful creatures vanished?
What worries me the most is the thought that these birds might soon join the list of extinct birds, like Dodo—a bird endemic in the Mauritius Island at one point. Many of these birds which are of ‘least concern’ in the International Union for Conservation’s global Red Data list are on the ‘threatened’ or ‘endangered’ list on the national level. [break]
Decreasing Number
Despite covering 0.01 percent of the total landmass of the world, Nepal boasts of around 8 percent of the total bird species in the world. Although thorough research and enumeration of birds in Nepal have not been performed, available statistics and study point to a decreasing number of bird species in Nepal.
The most recent study by Bird Conservation Nepal, in 2010, showed that 17 percent (149) of the bird species in Nepal are threatened, and 99 of the other species have been listed as critically endangered or endangered at the national level. Compared to the previous study of 2004, 21 species of birds were added to the list of critically endangered, and 6 to the endangered list in 2010. Similarly, the list of threatened birds had increased to 149 in 2010 from 133 species in 2004, and the number of vulnerable had reached 47.
Recent news reported that bird species such as comb duck, a rare resident bird whose last breeding was reported in 1992 in Ghodaghodi Lake, pale-headed woodpecker which was last sighted in 1982 in Sukhani jungle of Jhapa district, and white-hooded babbler which was once found in abundance about two decades ago, presently number only a handful. Seven species of birds are believed to be extinct.
Causes
It is not surprising that the ultimate blame for the diminishing number of birds goes to increasing human population. A 2010 report stated that human activities leading to habitat loss and damage are the major threats to 86 percent (127 species) of at-risk birds. Agriculture and deforestation, leading to the loss of habitat, have been held to be the root cause of loss of birds. Moreover, the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers have degraded fresh water life and reduced the quantity of insects and other food for birds.
The reason behind the decrease of birds in city areas is increasing pollution and filthy water reserves. When the report of the first counting of sparrow was presented in 2012, Jyotendra Thakuri, ornithologist at Bird Conservation Nepal, an NGO working for birds, had said: “From our limited knowledge, we can say that modern houses do not have holes like traditional houses once used to have. Therefore, due to lack of good habitat for nesting in houses, sparrows are in danger.”
As the fourth climate change vulnerable country in the world, climate change has recently come up as another cause for the dwindling population of birds in Nepal. Ornithologists have found that sightings of species like Tibetan and Himalayan snow cock, which are seen only in high altitudes along the glaciers and glacial moraines, have fallen in recent years. Reduction of the amount of snow in the Himalayas due to glacier melting is the cause of this loss.
A new study led by Durham University and BirdLife International showed that many bird species in the world are likely to suffer under future climate change. A research published in a journal called Global Change Biology examined the potential future distributions of suitable climate within important bird areas (IBA) for 370 Asian species of conservation concern across the Eastern Himalaya including Nepal and the Lower Mekong regions. Projections show that at least 45 percent, and possibly up to 88 percent, of the 370 species studied will experience decline, leading to changing species composition at individual sites.
Need of action
Several policies have been introduced and implemented with the motive of protecting and conserving bird species. However, these have not been effective in addressing the growing complexity of the problem. Community forestry and local forest user groups are amongst a few successful mechanisms in preserving the habitat of many birds. Also, the nine Ramsar sites in Nepal are famous habitats for many migratory as well as endemic birds.
Since April 2001, the government has banned persistent chemical pesticides for use in agriculture and health. However, due to lack of proper monitoring and implementation of the law, illegitimate and haphazard use of these harmful chemicals is persistent. These issues should be addressed by the government as soon as possible.
The project of saving vultures by establishing ‘vulture restaurant’, initiated in 2007 by Bird Conservation Nepal has been successful to a significant extent. Such projects can be initiated in other places in partnership with local communities, which will enhance the level of public awareness as well as protect the lives of birds in the area. Likewise, at an individual level, planting trees and keeping small pots of water in open spaces (such as gardens and terraces) can be a life saver for birds.
prayash.koirala@gmail.com
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