Subscribe
A White-breasted waterhen (Amaurornis phoenicurus) leads her chicks through a polluted waterbody in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. Though listed as “Least Concern” on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, this bird faces mounting threats from human activity.
The serene image of the protective mother and her brood is tainted by floating plastic and debris, underscoring the urgent environmental crisis. Pollution, habitat degradation, and illegal hunting endanger these resilient creatures, who continue to navigate a world increasingly hostile to their survival.
Large plastic waste, like bottles and packaging, harms aquatic life by choking birds and fish and carrying foreign species to new areas. Tiny plastic pellets absorb harmful chemicals from water, poisoning creatures thaset eat them. The bird species is often hunted for bushmeat as well, despite being protected under Schedule II of the Wild Life Protection Act of 1972.