Context: The first-ever grassland bird census was conducted in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve with the use of passive acoustic recording monitoring technology.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: Key facts about Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve; Key fauna.
First-ever Grassland bird census in Kaziranga Tiger Reserve
- Aim: To document and conserve rare and endemic grassland birds threatened by habitat loss.
- The survey prioritised 10 species that are either globally threatened or endemic to the Brahmaputra floodplains:
- Bengal Florican (Critically Endangered), Swamp Francolin, Finn’s Weaver, Swamp Grass Babbler, Jerdon’s Babbler, Slender-billed Babbler, Black-breasted Parrotbill, Marsh Babbler, Bristled Grassbird, and Indian Grassbird.
- The survey recorded a total of 43 grassland bird species, including 1 Critically Endangered, 2 Endangered, and 6 Vulnerable species.
Methodology used in the Census:
- Surveying these small, shy, and highly camouflaged birds is very difficult using traditional methods like visual counting.
- So, the acoustic recorders were placed in tall trees near grasslands during the breeding season of the birds (between March and May). This is the season when the birds are very vocal, calling out for mates and with males defending territory. The instruments recorded all the birds singing in the landscape. Then, software was used to create a spectrogram, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) was used to identify the birds based on the recordings.
An AI tool called Birdnet was used which uses machine learning to try and identify species by bird song. Grassland birds are an indicator of good health of the grassland ecosystem. The presence of these birds tells us that the habitat is healthy.
Threats to the habitats of Grassland Birds:
- In the past four decades, Assam has lost around 70% of its grasslands. The reasons include:
- Anthropogenic factors such as overgrazing and clearing of grasslands for cultivation.
- Natural phenomenon called ecological succession (which is basically an instinct for grasslands to gradually transition to forests).
- Climate Change
Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve
- Location: Assam
- 70% of the area of National Park is covered by grasslands.
- The park area is circumscribed by the Brahmaputra River, which forms the northern and eastern boundaries and Mora Diphlu, which forms the southern boundary. Other notable rivers within the park are the Diphlu and Mora Dhansiri.
- Kaziranga has an estimated 2613 one-horned rhinos and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Key Fauna: Tiger, Leopard, Indian Elephant, Wild water buffalo, Swamp deer, Sloth Bear, Hoolock Gibbon.