Save India’s wetlands to save this bird

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.

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.

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.