Why in the News?
The Prime Minister recently highlighted a first-of-its-kind grassland bird census in Kaziranga National Park, Assam.
About the Bird Census:
- Significance: India’s first-ever dedicated census of grassland birds
- Led by: Chiranjib Bora (PhD scholar), supported by INSPIRE Fellowship from the Department of Science & Technology
- Organised by: Park authorities, scientists, and conservationists
- Objective:
- Document rare, endemic, and threatened grassland bird species
- Focused on 10 priority species endemic to the Brahmaputra floodplains
Methodology Used:
- Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM):
- Recording devices placed in tall trees during breeding season
- Recordings captured across 29 locations over 3 days
- Ideal for detecting small, shy, camouflaged birds not easily visible
- Sound Identification Tools:
- BirdNet: Machine learning tool used to identify bird calls
- Spectrograms: Visual analysis of sound patterns; Final identifications verified by ornithologists
Key Findings:
- Total Species Recorded: 43 grassland bird species
- Priority Species Identified: Bengal Florican, Swamp Francolin, Finn’s Weaver, Jerdon’s Babbler, Black-breasted Parrotbill, among others
- Major Discovery: A breeding colony of over 85 Finn’s Weaver nests—first-ever documentation
| [UPSC 2014] If you walk through countryside, you are likely to see some birds stalking alongside the cattle to seize the insects disturbed by their movement through grasses. Which of the following is/are such bird/birds?
1. Painted Stork 2. Common Myna 3. Black-necked Crane Options: (a) 1 and 2 (b) 2 only* (c) 2 and 3 (d) 3 only |
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