UPSC-Relevant News Items

1. Migratory Birds Begin Winter Journey to Indian Wetlands and Southward Destinations

Page: 6

Summary:

• • Autumn migration has begun, bringing birds like waterfowl and raptors from northern latitudes (Siberia, Central Asia, Europe) to the Indian subcontinent for the winter.
• • India is central to the Central Asian Flyway (CAF), one of nine major global flyways.
• • Species such as bar-headed geese, Siberian cranes, and Amur falcons will settle in locations like Delhi's wetlands, Goa, Pulicat Lake, and Point Calimere.
• • Migrants prepare by gaining weight and practicing flying skills, undertaking immense journeys, such as the 13,600 km non-stop flight by the bar-tailed godwit. .The bar-headed goose holds the record for the highest altitude migration, flying over the Himalayas. .The Amur Falcon is notable for migrating from Siberia/China to South Africa via India, making it one of the longest routes for a small raptor.

Additional Facts:

• • Many migratory bird species are afforded legal protection against hunting and trade under the stringent provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, via its Schedules.
• • The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) enforces the Wetlands Rules (2019) to conserve vital migratory bird habitats, including India's protected Ramsar Sites.
• • The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) conducts crucial long-term bird ringing and tracking studies to monitor migration patterns and health.

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