Bird Sanctuaries of India

Introduction

The bird sanctuaries in India are considered important breeding and resting areas under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which provide the essential habitats to more than 1210 native and migratory birds. These areas have about 72 bird sanctuaries, which provide the health of the ecosystem, conservation of biodiversity and international flyways of migration.

Importance of Bird Sanctuaries for India

• Biodiversity Conservation: There are more than 1210 species that are under protection including endangered species.
• Migratory Haven: This is an important stopover place of the Siberian, Central Asian, and European birds.
• Ecological Balance: Wetlands, forests, and marshes, which are sources of food and water, should be preserved.
• Scientific Research and Education: This supports the avian ecological and environmental change studies. 

Major Bird Sanctuaries in India 

1. Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan): Previously Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary is a UNESCO World Heritage site, the so-called eastern entrance of migratory waterbirds.
2. Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary (Gujarat): The biggest wetland bird sanctuary in Gujarat which is known to be a home of migratory waterfowl and flamingos.
3. Chilika Lake Bird Sanctuary (Odisha): The largest brackish water lagoon in Asia, and a place of protection on Nalbana Island, of migratory waterbirds.
4. Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary (Tamil Nadu): The Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary (1936) is one of the oldest bird sanctuaries that is a very important Ramsar site with grey herons and storks.
5. Thattekad Bird Sanctuary (Kerala): This is the first bird sanctuary of Kerala, which was founded in 1983 between Periyar River branches.
6. Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary (Karnataka): It is made up of 6 small islands situated along the Kaveri River and is known as Pakshi Kashi.
7. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary (Goa): Mangrove-braked area on the Chorao Island (named after the Birdman of India).
8. Kulik Bird Sanctuary (West Bengal): It is a place where the largest colony of open-bill storks in Asia is located.
9. Nagi and Nakti Bird Sanctuaries (Bihar): The major wetlands of the South Bihar area where there is migration of birds.
10. Kolleru Bird Sanctuary (Andhra Pradesh): This is a large lake ecosystem which is the nesting place of pelicans. 
11. Pulicat Lake Bird Sanctuary(Andhra Pradesh–Tamil Nadu): Covers Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu; an important habitat of flamingos and other sea birds.
12. Najafgarh Drain Bird Sanctuary(Delhi): Najafgarh wetland in the NCR is conserved by this site that houses massive populations of waterbirds.
13. Karnala Bird Sanctuary(Maharashtra): Little, yet significant hill-forest sanctuary off Mumbai; the home of raptors and migratory birds.
14. Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary(Haryana): Huge migration point of birds on the Central Asian Flyway; particularly flamingos and ducks.
15. Gharana Bird Sanctuary(Jammu and Kashmir): Important of wintering waterfowl in Central Asia.
16. Mayani Bird Sanctuary, Maharashtra- Notable because of the resident and migratory water birds of the Mayani wetland.

Ecological and policy aspects

Bird sanctuaries are usually covered under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and usually announced as wildlife sanctuaries or wetland-conservation programmes. Some of them are connected to the Ramsar wetlands (e.g., Chilika, some lakes in Gujarat), and this introduces international requirements of preserving their ecological nature.

Examples of threats include reclamation of wetlands, water-pollution, invasive species and alterations in migration patterns due to climate. The success of conservation in such locations as Bharatpur and Chilika demonstrates that the decrease of the bird-population could be reversed by community-based management, managed tourism, and the science-based water-regime management.

Conservation Status 

• Law: Under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Ramsar Sites: Numerous of them including Chilika and Vedanthangal are listed as Ramsar Sites due to their worldwide significance.
• Threats: Climate change due to the migration patterns, pollution, encroachment, and unregulated tourism. 

Challenges to Avian Conservation

• Climate Change: Change in migration patterns and drying wet lands (e.g. Kanwar Lake in Bihar) endanger survival.
• Human Interference: Unchecked tourism, agricultural runoffs and land conflicts normally result in the degradation of the habitat.
• Pollution: Water bodies that contain harmful chemicals may cause mass killing like it is the case with wetlands.

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