GUWAHATI, May 19 - Of the 890 species of birds found in the Brahmaputra plains, thirteen grassland birds are globally threatened, noted ornithologist and former director of Bombay Natural History Society Dr Asad Rahmani has said, calling for detailed research on the birds, particularly the ten species which are �near-endemic�.
While some studies have been done regarding four of the ten near-endemic grassland bird species of the Brahmaputra flood plains � like Bengal florican, swamp francolin and yellow weaver � nothing much is known about the others as practically no studies have been done on them, he said.
Dr Rahmani was here to deliver a talk on �Threatened Birds of Brahmaputra Flood Plain of Assam� organized by Cotton College University and the Paschim Baragaon-based Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology.
Speaking to The Assam Tribune on the sidelines, Dr Rahmani said the Assam�s state bird � the white winged wood duck (deo hanh) is also listed as endangered and the species too is in a �bad shape�. �It is not known how many are there still,� he said.
Of the 890 species of birds found in Assam, around 70 are grassland birds and around 35 are obligate to grasslands.
�The Manipur bush quail was last seen in 1935. There are unconfirmed reports of some sightings after that, but we do not have a photo or a feather. We need to search if they are still surviving. I fear we will have to declare it extinct in few years time,� he said.
He said the black-breasted parrotbill and swamp prinia have been also declared endangered, while the yellow weaver, whose population was spread from Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh to India, is now confined to only a few sites.
Dr Rahmani flagged the issue of grass burning, which he said might be impacting the habitat of the grassland birds.
�We do the burning for management of the sanctuaries, but this exercise needs to be studied. Is this affecting the habitat for the grassland birds and their breeding. I agree burning if required, but do we have to do it regularly. The burning should be completed before February because March is the breeding season of these birds,� he said.
Around 65 per cent of Kaziranga National Park is grassland, but the Bengal florican is not found in all the areas, he wondered, and called for research on the habitats of the grassland birds.
Dr Rahmani was also critical of the dams being built on the upper reaches of the Brahmaputra river and said study was required to find out if they would in any way affect the habitat of the grassland birds.
�When we build dams, we are creating high and low tides on daily basis. What will happen to the grasslands... Will the habitats remains? We need detailed study if we have to preserve the birds,� he added.