Okhla sanctuary sees decline in number of migratory birds

Samad Hoque

New Delhi, December 30

The Okhla Bird Sanctuary witnessed a decline in the arrival of winter migratory water birds this year in comparison to previous years.

Mismanagement, Human disturbance

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Due to mismanagement by the Gautam Buddha Nagar Forest Division, the sanctuary has turned into an entertainment tourism park. It has become an unprotected sanctuary with extreme human disturbance to birds foraging and roosting. TK Roy, Delhi state coordinator, asian waterbird census

Expert suggested that delay and decline in the arrival of migratory birds could be linked to the impact of the global climate change.

However, TK Roy, Delhi State Coordinator, Asian Waterbird Census (AWC), cited decline, degradation and drying up of wetland as another major factor for drop in the number of migratory birds at the sanctuary. The wetland dried up several times this year due to the mismanagement of the authorities, he added.

Located on the Delhi-Noida border, the four sq km area was designated as a bird sanctuary by the Uttar Pradesh Government in 1990 under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

Roy said, “Due to the mismanagement by the Gautam Buddha Nagar Forest Division, the sanctuary has turned into an entertainment tourism park. It has become an unprotected sanctuary with extreme human disturbance to birds foraging and roosting.”

“It is identified as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) site in NCR-Delhi. But due to the degrading habitat and disturbed sanctuary, birdlife species of various diversities have seen a decreasing trend,” he added.

According to the AWC, bird species of various diversities have decreased since 2021. While the sanctuary saw arrival of 73 species in 2021, it declined to 47 in 2022 and 36 this year.

These included species from threatened and restricted species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Convention of Migratory Species (CMS), Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) and Indian Wildlife Protection Act.

Roy said, “Earlier large number of Bar-headed Geese, Eurasian Coot and Northern Shoveler were recorded but now it has decreased.”