Rare species seen during Asian Water Bird Survey 2023 in Kawal Reserve | The New Indian Express
WCS-India, in collaboration with HyTiCoS, the forest department, and various volunteer groups, conducted the Asian Water Bird Census (AWC) 2023 in the Kawal Tiger Reserve. More than 340 birds of different species were identified during the census, including the rare peregrine falcon. Other birds spotted include lesser whistling ducks, Indian spot-billed ducks, northern pintails, open-billed storks, common teals, pond herons, red-wattled lapwing, terek sandpipers, common kingfishers, white-throated kingfishers and few other birds.
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52 avian species observed in Ladakh under Asian Waterbird Census | The Times of India
Fifty-two avian species were observed in the 'Asian Waterbird Census-2023' conducted in the Union Territory of Ladakh. The total number of species recorded across all the birding sites were 35, out of which 13 species were waterbirds. The observations were recorded on the eBird app. Of the 52 bird species observed in the census, 11 were sighted in Chumathang, 10 in Puga, 21 in Shey, and 10 in Phey along the Indus river. The waterbird census in Ladakh was led by Padma Gyalpo, a known birder from Shey.
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Workshop on handling, rehabilitation of wildlife | Nagaland Post
Resource persons from WCS-India conducted a two-day workshop on the safe handling, care and rehabilitation of wildlife at the Nagaland Zoological Park (NZP), Rangapahar. The participants were given in-depth knowledge about the basics of handling wildlife, their care and rehabilitation. The participants were the animal keepers of NZP and staff from the crime branch of the Dimapur division.
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Plan in place to eradicate invasive plant species from Kerala’s wildlife habitat | The Hindu
The Nodal Centre for Biological Invasions (NCBI) at the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) has devised a management plan to eradicate Senna spectabilis, the exotic invasive plant posing a severe threat to the state’s wildlife habitat. Based on the results of the experimental study done at the Periyar Tiger Reserve, the plan envisages landscape-level management of the tree. While the tree mainly threatens the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary and nearby forests, it is also sporadically found in the fringes of many other forest areas of Kerala.
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Tiger sighting at mitigation site near Sakoli proves need for underpass | The Times of India
The work on constructing wildlife underpasses on NH6 (NH53) is constantly being under-prioritised and has been proceeding at a very slow pace. Amid this, the sighting of an adult tiger on rubble near one of the mitigation sites, seemingly unable to cross the road due to heavy vehicular movement, has once again underlined the need for such structures in corridors. A senior NHAI official explained that the work on four underpasses started in January 2022 and is targeted to be completed by November 2023. Till now, 28% of the work has been completed.
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Black vulture spotted in Gurugram’s Chandu wetlands, first such sighting in India | The Tribune
Bird watchers from across NCR have flocked to Chandu wetlands in Gurugram as a rare sighting of a black vulture was reported from here recently. According to them, so far, it is the first sighting of a black vulture in Asia. The vulture’s range extends from the northeastern United States to Peru, Central Chile and Uruguay in South America. It has no previous records of migrating to this part of the world. According to birders, the sighting is probably a result of the bird escaping from illegal wildlife traffickers or from a private collection in the region.
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