Storks have played a prominent role in folklore across various cultures. Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE
Wildlife & Biodiversity

Save India’s wetlands to save this bird

As India’s wetlands disappear, the existence of storks is at risk

Vikas Choudhary

Storks are one of the most enigmatic avian species known to humanity. Like many other countries around the world, India too has its fair share of stork populations.

But India’s storks face an existential threat: the loss of their habitat.

These birds are found across India, mostly in wetlands.

India has numerous stork colonies in various wetlands, with major species including the Painted Stork and the endangered Greater Adjutant. Key nesting sites are found in Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Rajasthan) for painted storks and in Assam’s Brahmaputra Valley for Greater Adjutants, while other notable wetlands supporting storks are located in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh.

The fast-disappearing wetlands of India risk the very survival of storks.

Stork colonies are vital breeding hubs, supported by healthy wetland ecosystems. As India’s wetlands disappear due to pollution and other human activities, the existence of storks is at risk.