Danger in the wings

THE birds are dying. A drastic decline in the number of vultures, nature's biggest scavengers and cleansers, and the death of almost 40 peacocks, the national bird, in Morena district, Madhya Pradesh, have alarmed the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), the World-Wide Fund for Nature (WWFN) - India and environmentalists in general.

Equally frightening is the steady decline in all bird species, especially those that feed on insects, like drongos, thrushes, chats and warblers. These are not exotic, rare species but feathered friends regaling us for years with their chatter and enchanting music. These are birds that are intrinsic to the landscape - adding to the beauty and magic of our green spaces.

Ornithologist Lav Kumar Khachher, who has been holding nature camps for children at Vashisht, Manali and Pirotan Islands, Gujarat, for several years, says the decline of these insectivorous birds is more visible in areas of intensive farming where pesticides and chemical fertilizers are used extensively. Grassland birds like floricans and partridges are also on the decline because the croplands on which they live are being sprayed with insecticides. The death of insects heralds the end of the birds that subsist on them.

Most of us who have gardens at home spray insecticides to ensure a healthy crop of vegetables or flowers without realising the impact this would have on the pretty birds that flit around gorging on insects. Mosquito repellants and post-monsoon fumigation drives kill not just the blood sucking mosquito but a host of other insects and birds.

Adult birds that do not feed on insects have also been affected, but to a lesser extent. Fortunately, weaver birds and sparrows breed in the monsoons when insects are available in plenty to feed their young. But in Chennai and even in parts of Delhi, there are fewer sparrows today than before.

Migrant birds too have a problem whether they come from Central Asia or elsewhere. India is inhospitable to the birds. They stay here in winter to fatten up for the return flight. But there is not enough food for them, laments Lav Kumar. The black redstart and wagtail were once extremely common around homes and fields. But not anymore. Even in Manali, fewer redstarts and dipper birds are visible today because the Beas has been polluted with construction material and fecal matter. Because of the spraying of apple trees, the chemicals are washed into the river affecting insect larvae. The result is that our rivers too are becoming dead, warns Lav Kumar.

The population of larger birds like the saras crane is also nowhere near what it was 25 years ago, he says. While pesticides and insecticides are taking their toll, at the other end of the spectrum, unrestricted grazing and direct human pressure is reducing habitats. Many birds need trees to nest and when parks and sanctuaries shrink, the trees disappear. In the Gir National Park, peacocks can be seen nesting on pylons.

Faulty forestry practices like monoculture plantations and the introduction of exotics are also damaging bio-diversity. With the introduction of mechanised farming, hedges - the natural sanctuaries for several birds - are fast disappearing. Add to this the mushroom growth of concrete buildings, neatly laid gardens in place of the wilderness, increased pollution of rivers and the air over our cities and there can be some idea of the trauma birds face.

In the Delhi, Agra and Bharatpur belt, there were 20,000 vultures in the 1980's. Now their number is down to 150, says Sateeshan of WWFN, Delhi. In the 1990's, because of the large number of aircraft being hit by birds, on the basis of a BNHS report, carcass dumps around Delhi airport were moved out and slaughter houses were sealed to scavengers with wire fencing.

The birds then moved out to other areas in search of food. According to Sateeshan, when they moved out they began feeding on poison-baited carcasses. Around the Corbett National Park in Uttar Pradesh and other protected areas, farmers have been retaliating against tigers and leopards that kill cattle. They poison cattle carcasses. Vultures as scavengers come to clean up the remains and get poisoned. In the Annamalais area too, a scientist, Kannan, has recorded that vultures are getting wiped out because of animal baits. In North India, there is rivalry between villagers for hides. Cattle poisoning is quite common as a result.

Poisoning of wildlife and vultures is happening all over the world, says Sateeshan. He advocates the creation of special food reserves for vultures so that their population increases. The vultures can be relocated once their numbers increase.

While the poisoning of vultures needs urgent attention, disappearance of large tree species like the tamarind, pilkan and the banyan, which these large birds like to nest in, also contributes to the decline in their numbers.

The large number of peacocks that died in Morena ate bajra that had high levels of mercury salts. It had affected their kidneys, says S. C. Sharma, Additional Inspector-General for Wildlife in the Environment and Forest Ministry. Ashok Kumar of the Wildlife Protection Society of India says a large number of new seeds are coming into the market that are treated with chemicals and coated with fertilizers to ensure germination. They are supposed to be sown at least an inch below the ground. For a week after sowing, peacocks and other birds have to be prevented from digging up the earth and getting at the seed. This is not always possible.

Geeta Seshmani of Friendicos, a non-government organisation that cares for stray/abandoned animals and cattle in Delhi, says "seven sick peacocks were brought to them for treatment early this year. All died within 24 hours". In the last year and a half, Friendicos has also handled some 300 raptors, brought in a distraught, disoriented state. The spraying of gardens and scattering of chemically treated bajra is increasing sickness and paralysis in birds, says Seshmani.

Spraying areas outside public garbage bins harms cows, dogs and pigs that rummage through them for food. The Environment Ministry is caught in a classic catch-22 situation. It can only request the Agriculture Ministry to stop spraying of chemical pesticides and fertilizers within a five kilometre radius of protected areas, says Sharma. In other areas, he advocates testing for toxicity of treated bajra and seeds before release. The poisoning of wildlife will be discussed at the meeting to draft the national wildlife policy.

It will take a long time for policies to change. We cannot afford to lose any more time. In the words of Lav Kumar remember that "a bird friendly habitat is a human friendly habitat". A garden with climbers, bushes and wild growth can be your contribution to give a fresh lease of life to our feathered friends.

USHA RAI

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Features
Previous : In the shadow of a giant
Next     : Edible shrub