Migrating Birds

The South Island of New Zealand was once home to the extinct Haast's eagle, also called Hieraaetus moorei. Weighing about 10-18 kilos (22-40 pounds), it is the largest eagle to ever exist

The MCD is considering a proposal to ban pigeon-feeding spots across the city, citing potential health risks posed by the overpopulation of these birds. Popular feeding areas, typically seen on pavements, roundabouts, and road intersections, could soon be shut down if the proposal is approved. The Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials said that the plan is still in its early stages, and an advisory is expected soon. The proposal aims to address the health risks associated with pigeon droppings, which can harbour pathogens such as Salmonella, E. Coli, and influenza. These pathogens can exacerbate respiratory conditions like asthma and lead to severe allergic reactions. "When pigeons gather in large numbers, their droppings and feather fluttering create a breeding ground for various pathogens, particularly fungal spores like cryptococci. Inhaling these spores can lead to serious respiratory issues, including hypersensitivity pneumonitis, asthma, and even severe fungal pneumonia in

Northern Bald Ibis bird returned to Europe after 300 years, thanks to concerted conservation efforts helping its remarkable resurgence

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Wednesday took strong exception to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign in the state and likened the latter's visits to a migratory bird arriving at the sanctuary during season and posed him questions on a series of issues. The Prime Minister has come to the state with a set of guarantees for the 2024 general elections as his Gujarat model and Chaukidar role has been exposed, he said. Prime Minister Modi himself hovers over Tamil Nadu during the election season just like migratory birds come to the sanctuary during the season. will you give these guarantees? Stalin, who is president of the ruling DMK, asked in a post on the social media platform X. He sought to know from Modi, if he could guarantee conducting caste-wise census, remove the ceiling on reservation, strictly implement reservation for SC, ST and OBC, exempt Tamil Nadu from National Eligibility-cum-entrance test (NEET), never to impose Hindi and Sanskrit, and transferring ...

Nearly half of the world's migratory species are in decline, according to a new United Nations report released Monday. Many songbirds, sea turtles, whales, sharks and other migratory animals move to different environments with changing seasons and are imperiled by habitat loss, illegal hunting and fishing, pollution and climate change. About 44% of migratory species worldwide are declining in population, the report found. More than a fifth of the nearly 1,200 species monitored by the U.N. are threatened with extinction. These are species that move around the globe. They move to feed and breed and also need stopover sites along the way, said Kelly Malsch, lead author of the report released at a U.N. wildlife conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. Habitat loss or other threats at any point in their journey can lead to dwindling populations. Migration is essential for some species. If you cut the migration, you're going to kill the species, said Duke University ecologist Stuart Pimm, w

The data of all the birds was added to the eBird app. The data will analysed to know the population of which species can be increased

Of the 338 bird species studied in India for changes in numbers over the last 30 years, 60 per cent have experienced a decline, says a new report based on data from about 30,000 birdwatchers across the country. Also, 40 per cent (142) of the 359 species evaluated for change over the last seven years have declined, according to the report titled "State of India's Birds". The assessments rely on three indices: two are related to the change in abundance -- long-term trend (change over 30 years) and current annual trend (change over the past seven years) -- and the third is a measure of distribution range size within India. Of the total of 942 species evaluated, long-term trends could be determined for 338 species. Of these, 204 species have declined, 98 are stable and 36 have increased, says the report published by a group of 13 government and non-government institutions, including the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Wildlife Institute of India (WII), and Zoological Survey of ..

Over 6,000 birds were culled in three separate panchayats of Kerala's Kottayam district where a bird flu outbreak has been confirmed. A total of 6,017 birds, mostly ducks, were killed on Saturday in the Vechur, Neendoor and Arpookara panchayats of the district, a release from the district administration said. Around 133 ducks and 156 chickens in Vechur, 2,753 ducks in Neendoor and 2,975 ducks in Arpookara were killed, the release said. Bird flu or avian influenza, is a highly contagious zoonotic disease. Meanwhile, the Lakshadweep administration has for now banned transportation of frozen chicken to the islands from the mainland due to a reported outbreak of bird flu in Kerala.

The exotic fowls flying in from far-off lands are a little less in number than recorded in previous years and their arrival, too, was delayed by 3 weeks, said a globally renowned ornithologist.

A census in Assam's Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve has found that the national park has at least 868 swamp deer including 173 male, 557 female and 138 yearlings.However, there was a slight decrease in the deer population in comparison to 907 counted in 2018. "This is mainly due to two high floods in the intervening period of 2019 and 2020," said the park authority.Territory-wise, 786 under Eastern Assam Division, 62 under Biswanath Wildlife Division and 20 under Nagaon Wildlife Division have been recorded by experienced and trained wildlife experts from outside the forest department.In the process, 29 enumerators, 112 forest personnel was directly involved in the exercise.At the same time, counting of wetland birds was also conducted from December 21 to December 27 encompassing the whole Kaziranga Tiger Reserve. Total 66,776 numbers of birds of 126 species were enumerated using the Point Count method.Out of this, 42,205 numbers of birds were counted in the Kaziranga ...

Senior veterinarian Sharavan Singh Rathore said around 100 sick birds are being treated and prima facie they are infected with Ranikhet disease

Evidence suggests that pigeons use a combination of olfactory cues to locate their position