In an endeavour to highlight the plight of certain species of Indian birds facing the threat of extinction, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) will hold an exhibition on them from on Friday.
MUMBAI: In an endeavour to highlight the plight of certain species of Indian birds facing the threat of extinction, Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) will hold an exhibition on them from on Friday.
The exhibition will have all categories of threatened birds-- extinct (not seen for at least 50 years), critically endangered (likely to be extinct), endangered (high risk of extinction), vulnerable (risk of extinction) and near threatened.
Twelve per cent of the Asian avian fauna, (324 bird species) is globally threatened with extinction, including 41 that are classified into critical, 66 into endangered and 217 into vulnerable categories respectively, said Director BNHS Dr Asad R Rahmani.
In India, there are 75 globally threatened species of which 12 are critically endangered, 10 endangered and 53 are vulnerable.
Most threatened bird species in this region are specialised in their habitat requirements, and are totally dependent for their survival on a particular type of forest, grassland or wetland, he said adding the continuing loss and damage to these habitats are by far the most prominent risk factors endangering them.
Since 1960s, the IUCN-the World Conservation Union and Bird Life International keeps account of the threatened bird species. This information gives details on taxonomy, distribution and conservation status of those particular species.
Some of the useful international publications on the subject which will be on display include- BirdLife International and IUCN, which have categorized the status of various species and given them the current position.
Besides, in 1963, International Red Data Book was conceived by late Sir Peter Scott as a register of threatened wildlife that includes definition of degree of threat, Rahmani said.
In 1980, the first bird Red Data Book was published by the International Council for Bird Preservation (ICBP), while in 2000 Threatened Birds of the World was published by BirdLife International and in 2001 Threatened Birds of India was published by Birdlife International, he said.
The term Red Data Book came into existence in the early 1960s with IUCNs World Conservation Union conjugating with the International Council for Bird Preservation ICBP, (now BirdLife International), Rahmani added.
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