Type: Prelims Only

Why in the News?

Siliserh Lake in Rajasthan and Kopra Jalashay in Chhattisgarh have been designated as Ramsar Sites, recognising their international importance as wetlands.

Siliserh Lake

Location: Alwar district, Rajasthan
Type: Human made lake
Setting: Located within the buffer zone of Sariska Tiger Reserve
History: Constructed in 1845 by Maharaja Vinay Singh to supply drinking water to Alwar city
Climate Zone: Semi arid region
Ecological Significance:
• Important water source in a dry landscape
• Supports diverse wetland and terrestrial biodiversity

Fauna:

• Around 149 bird species
• 17 mammal species
• Vulnerable species: River tern
• Endangered species: Tiger
• Supports more than 1 percent of the biogeographic population of Black Stork (Ciconia nigra)

Kopra Jalashay

Location: Bilaspur district, Chhattisgarh
Type: Reservoir
River System: Upper catchment of the Mahanadi River
Hydrological Importance:
• Strong hydrological and ecological connectivity
• Creates a mosaic of wetland habitats

Avifaunal Importance:

• Supports over 60 migratory bird species
• Used for nesting, feeding and as a stopover site

Fauna:

• Vulnerable species: Greater Spotted Eagle (Aquila clanga)
• Endangered species: Egyptian Vulture (Neophron percnopterus)

Ramsar Convention Key Point for Prelims

• Ramsar Convention is an international treaty for conservation and wise use of wetlands
  • Adopted in 1971 at Ramsar, Iran
  • India is a contracting party since 1982

Why in the News?

The rare migratory Pallas’s Gull was recently sighted at Udhwa Bird Sanctuary in Jharkhand, marking its return after nearly a decade.

About Pallas’s Gull

• Also known as the Great Black headed Gull
• One of the largest gull species in the world
• World’s largest black headed gull and third largest gull overall
• Family: Laridae
• Scientific name: Ichthyaetus ichthyaetus

Conservation Status: IUCN Red List: Least Concern

Distribution and Migration

• Breeds in colonies across marshes and islands of southern Russia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia
• Migratory species
• Winters in the Mediterranean region, Arabian Peninsula, and Indian subcontinent.

Prelims Pointers

• Pallas’s Gull is a migratory wetland dependent bird
• Associated with Central Asian Flyway
• Udhwa is Jharkhand’s only bird sanctuary and a Ramsar Site
• Species belongs to the Laridae family

Why in the News?

Assam’s Majuli island hosted the second edition of the Charaichung Festival, aimed at reviving Asia’s first protected Royal Bird Sanctuary, Charaichung, established in 1633 AD.

About Charaichung Sanctuary

• Established in 1633 AD by Ahom King Swargadeu Pratap Singha (Burha Roja).
• Considered Asia’s first protected royal bird sanctuary.
• Holds a 392-year-old legacy.
• Once thriving, the sanctuary has deteriorated and now requires active conservation.
• Home to around 150 species of indigenous and migratory birds.

About the Charaichung Festival

• Held from December 7 to 10, 2025, at Majuli.
• Organised by Majuli Sahitya and local communities.
• Objective:
  • Revive Charaichung sanctuary
  • Strengthen bird conservation
  • Promote Majuli as a global tourism destination
• Includes a special forest conservation exhibition showcasing biodiversity protection efforts.

Significance of Majuli

• Recognised as the world’s largest river island.
• One of India’s important bird habitats, attracting domestic and international nature enthusiasts.
• Rich in biodiversity and cultural heritage.

Why in the News?

A new study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B (December 10, 2025) reports unprecedented coral bleaching and mortality at One Tree Reef (OTR) in the southern Great Barrier Reef, driven by extreme heat and rapid spread of black band disease (BBD).

Background

• Coral reefs have shaped Earth’s climate for 250 million years.
• OTR has not witnessed bleaching of this severity for decades.
• The impacted species, Goniopora (flowerpot or daisy corals), typically live in lagoons and turbid reefs and are known for thermal tolerance, making their mass mortality alarming.