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18th March 2021

Three Lesser Adjutant Storks Continue their Journey Back to the Wild:

IBCBIRDS QRTQRT IBC, Meghalaya, February 16, 2021: Three juvenile lesser adjutant storks that are under care at QRT IBC (the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation, IBC and the Assam Forest Department’s wildlife rescue, treatment, and rehabilitation facility near Kaziranga National Park) are continuing their journey towards a successful rehabilitation into the wild, reports from the field say.
QRT IBCWhile the juvenile storks are still dependent on a supply of fish from QRT, they are increasingly trying to explore their natural habitat.
QRT IBCWhile the juvenile storks are still dependent on a supply of fish from QRT (Quick Response Team), they are increasingly trying to explore their natural habitat. They search for available feed during the day and have chosen a tree on the north-eastern boundary of QRT to perch on at night, which is a good indicator that their wild instincts are developing.

“They were in a clinically compromised state when they were brought to us over two months ago”, says Dr. Prahlad.
QRT IBC “Proper medical attention during hand-raising and rehabilitation has seen them to this stage. Once they learn to fish and find suitable food on their own, we believe we will see them fly away to a successful life in the wild. We are patiently waiting for that day.”

Three Lesser Adjutant Storks Continue their Journey Back to the Wild:

IBCBIRDS QRTQRT IBC, Meghalaya, February 16, 2021: Three juvenile lesser adjutant storks that are under care at QRT IBC (the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation, IBC and the Assam Forest Department’s wildlife rescue, treatment, and rehabilitation facility near Kaziranga National Park) are continuing their journey towards a successful rehabilitation into the wild, reports from the field say.
QRT IBCWhile the juvenile storks are still dependent on a supply of fish from QRT, they are increasingly trying to explore their natural habitat.
QRT IBCWhile the juvenile storks are still dependent on a supply of fish from QRT (Quick Response Team), they are increasingly trying to explore their natural habitat. They search for available feed during the day and have chosen a tree on the north-eastern boundary of QRT to perch on at night, which is a good indicator that their wild instincts are developing.

“They were in a clinically compromised state when they were brought to us over two months ago”, says Dr. Prahlad.
QRT IBC “Proper medical attention during hand-raising and rehabilitation has seen them to this stage. Once they learn to fish and find suitable food on their own, we believe we will see them fly away to a successful life in the wild. We are patiently waiting for that day.”
19th January 2021

Even migratory birds can face a refugee crisis


It had been a few months since the Sambhar lake tragedy.

Seasonal migration, in birds, refers to the periodic transboundary movement of a species from one place to the other in search of resources or for breeding.

Now one might question the need for an energy extensive voyage to the tropical regions just for some food or warmth. However, this energy investment of flying long distances has wonderful returns. A relatively warm Indian winter welcomes these birds with an environment plush with mosquitoes, flies, insect larvae, and other avian delicacies.

Large Wetlands also have a social value as staging and feeding grounds for congregational gatherings of these migrants. This was a role fulfilled by Sambhar lake, Rajasthan for the longest time. Until this year…
Avian botulism is caused by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum that produces a toxin. This bacterium reproduces through spores that remain dormant in water bodies under normal aerobic conditions. In Sambhar, it slowly concentrated in microscopic aquatic organisms that filter feed sediments or water. When birds at Sambhar ate the organisms, the toxin accumulated in their bodies.

This year, climate change led to increased rainfall, thereby increasing groundwater level, which reached the lake brim. This along with other anthropogenic factors led to the proliferation of the bacteria in Sambhar lake.

It was a catastrophe waiting to happen. Many scientists, environmentalists and even locals had seen the changes in the wetland over the course of a few years. The growing need for water in the catchment region of the lake led to the construction of dams, thereby disrupting natural water inflow. Moreover, illegal salt mining altered the pH and microbiological ecology of the lake.

Scientists even recommended a geochemical study to understand the repercussions of such changes. However, these recommendations were left unheeded, lost somewhere in the system.
Birds such as black-winged stilts, pied avocets, Northern shovelers, common coots, common teals, and even the teensy little Kentish Plovers were the refugees in our temporary facility at Kachorda. The Indian Bird Conservancy (IBC), in collaboration Animal Husbandry Department, and Forest Department committed over a month of full-time strenuous efforts to ensure the treatment of as many of the admitted birds as could be treated and released safely. The timely intervention resulted in many of them responding to the treatment.
 The teams safely treated over 1200 birds. Of these, we released 514 during this rescue We cannot predict if this incident will change the migratory behavior or breeding grounds of the birds, however, if they do ever face this problem again, we will be prepared.

Click here to help our project: www.bit.ly/helpabird

Thank you,
Team IBCBIRDS.

Even migratory birds can face a refugee crisis


It had been a few months since the Sambhar lake tragedy.

Seasonal migration, in birds, refers to the periodic transboundary movement of a species from one place to the other in search of resources or for breeding.

Now one might question the need for an energy extensive voyage to the tropical regions just for some food or warmth. However, this energy investment of flying long distances has wonderful returns. A relatively warm Indian winter welcomes these birds with an environment plush with mosquitoes, flies, insect larvae, and other avian delicacies.

Large Wetlands also have a social value as staging and feeding grounds for congregational gatherings of these migrants. This was a role fulfilled by Sambhar lake, Rajasthan for the longest time. Until this year…
Avian botulism is caused by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum that produces a toxin. This bacterium reproduces through spores that remain dormant in water bodies under normal aerobic conditions. In Sambhar, it slowly concentrated in microscopic aquatic organisms that filter feed sediments or water. When birds at Sambhar ate the organisms, the toxin accumulated in their bodies.

This year, climate change led to increased rainfall, thereby increasing groundwater level, which reached the lake brim. This along with other anthropogenic factors led to the proliferation of the bacteria in Sambhar lake.

It was a catastrophe waiting to happen. Many scientists, environmentalists and even locals had seen the changes in the wetland over the course of a few years. The growing need for water in the catchment region of the lake led to the construction of dams, thereby disrupting natural water inflow. Moreover, illegal salt mining altered the pH and microbiological ecology of the lake.

Scientists even recommended a geochemical study to understand the repercussions of such changes. However, these recommendations were left unheeded, lost somewhere in the system.
Birds such as black-winged stilts, pied avocets, Northern shovelers, common coots, common teals, and even the teensy little Kentish Plovers were the refugees in our temporary facility at Kachorda. The Indian Bird Conservancy (IBC), in collaboration Animal Husbandry Department, and Forest Department committed over a month of full-time strenuous efforts to ensure the treatment of as many of the admitted birds as could be treated and released safely. The timely intervention resulted in many of them responding to the treatment.
 The teams safely treated over 1200 birds. Of these, we released 514 during this rescue We cannot predict if this incident will change the migratory behavior or breeding grounds of the birds, however, if they do ever face this problem again, we will be prepared.

Click here to help our project: www.bit.ly/helpabird

Thank you,
Team IBCBIRDS.
24th December 2020
QRT (Quick Response Team) on Illegal Trapping of Birds:

A Ramsar site that is a habitat for resident and migratory birds, Bhoj Wetland comprises the Upper and Lower Lakes and holds socio-cultural significance for the city.  

A recent bird count recorded 125 species of birds, such as red-crested pochard (Netta Rufina), northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata), green sandpiper (Tringa ochropus), painted stork (Mycteria leucocephala), brown-headed gull (Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus), and purple heron (Ardea purpurea).

While the Upper lake adjoins Van Vihar National Park on the south, with human settlements on the east and north and agriculture fields on the west, the lower lake is bounded by human settlements from all sides.

This wetland is also a cultivation site for water- chestnut, which adds to the livelihood of some local communities. Harvesting of these water- chestnuts are done by using nets in summer; these nets are more than 100-200ft tall and 500-900ft wide and are usually deployed in open waters where large congregations of waterfowl feed. The nets pose a threat to the resident and migratory species when not immediately removed after harvesting and if left for longer periods.
Birds fly straight into these tall nets, get entangled, and often die.

Despite the pandemic induced lockdown, the teams (QRT) undertook continuous patrols in Trapa (water-chestnut) cultivation areas.  Several birds were found dead and entangled in discarded trap nets but the team managed to rescue 48 birds and safely release them back into the wild.  A total of seven trap nets and 18 discarded nets were removed during the course of the project.
The teams’ efforts in spreading awareness have helped gain the confidence of 15 farmers who have since agreed to keep a lookout for illegal trapping activities in the region.
The team plans to continue patrolling the trapa cultivated area and engage with more local people in an attempt to protect Bhoj Wetland and its biodiversity.

The coming months will see more action on highlighting this issue and enforcement through QRT support.

IBC’s Quick Response Team Projects are our key outreach initiatives through which we partner with committed individuals and grassroots agencies to address conservation problems needing immediate attention.

visit www.bit.ly/helpabird to support us

TEAM IBC





QRT (Quick Response Team) on Illegal Trapping of Birds:

A Ramsar site that is a habitat for resident and migratory birds, Bhoj Wetland comprises the Upper and Lower Lakes and holds socio-cultural significance for the city.  

A recent bird count recorded 125 species of birds, such as red-crested pochard (Netta Rufina), northern shoveler (Spatula clypeata), green sandpiper (Tringa ochropus), painted stork (Mycteria leucocephala), brown-headed gull (Chroicocephalus brunnicephalus), and purple heron (Ardea purpurea).

While the Upper lake adjoins Van Vihar National Park on the south, with human settlements on the east and north and agriculture fields on the west, the lower lake is bounded by human settlements from all sides.

This wetland is also a cultivation site for water- chestnut, which adds to the livelihood of some local communities. Harvesting of these water- chestnuts are done by using nets in summer; these nets are more than 100-200ft tall and 500-900ft wide and are usually deployed in open waters where large congregations of waterfowl feed. The nets pose a threat to the resident and migratory species when not immediately removed after harvesting and if left for longer periods.
Birds fly straight into these tall nets, get entangled, and often die.

Despite the pandemic induced lockdown, the teams (QRT) undertook continuous patrols in Trapa (water-chestnut) cultivation areas.  Several birds were found dead and entangled in discarded trap nets but the team managed to rescue 48 birds and safely release them back into the wild.  A total of seven trap nets and 18 discarded nets were removed during the course of the project.
The teams’ efforts in spreading awareness have helped gain the confidence of 15 farmers who have since agreed to keep a lookout for illegal trapping activities in the region.
The team plans to continue patrolling the trapa cultivated area and engage with more local people in an attempt to protect Bhoj Wetland and its biodiversity.

The coming months will see more action on highlighting this issue and enforcement through QRT support.

IBC’s Quick Response Team Projects are our key outreach initiatives through which we partner with committed individuals and grassroots agencies to address conservation problems needing immediate attention.

visit www.bit.ly/helpabird to support us

TEAM IBC