INDIAN ornithologists are a worried lot
these days. The departure of four
Siberian cranes - before satellite transmitters could be fixed on them to monitor their return journey - is only one of
their concerns (Down To Earth, Vol 4,
No 23). The number of these rare visitors has been steadily dwindling over
the years. While much hue and cry has
been raised about this, a large number
of other species are also trudging towards extinction and very less is
known about them.
Three Indian bird species - the
pink-headed duck, the mountain quail
and the forest spotted owlet - may
have disappeared from the face of the
earth. The chances of finding any surviving members of these species are
remote, says environmentalist Ashish
Kothari in a recently published study on
the future of India's avifauna. Experts
have identified 103 species that are facing extinction. Loss of habitat, hunting, over-exploitation and trade have contributed to the situation.
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