Occurrence and Distribution of Stork Species in Bundelkhand Region, the Drought Prone Landscape of India

Abstract

Storks are large wading birds that are distributed across the Indian Sub Continent. They belong to the order Ciconiiformes, having long bills, necks and legs. The family Ciconiidae is closely associated with wetlands, marshes and swamps. The study was conducted for 3 consecutive years January 2015 to January 2018 to know the occurrence and distribution of stork species in Bundelkhand region of India that is a drought prone landscape. Road surveys and field trips were carried following the line transect and point count methods. Bundelkhand region is privileged to put up with 6 species 5 residential and 1 migratory species of Storks in spite of its adverse climatic conditions. The 6 species were spotted individually, in flocks and mixed flocks were also not uncommon. They were observed foraging and resting at reservoirs, rivers, seasonal ponds and also water filled in agricultural fields. The bird flocks varied seasonally. The sand mining in rivers, vanishing seasonal ponds and drastic change in agricultural practices are a serious threat to the Stork species and other wetland birds. For conserving the stork species it is vital to involve the local communities. Sonika Kushwaha | Akhilesh Kumar "Occurrence and Distribution of Stork Species in Bundelkhand Region, the Drought Prone Landscape of India" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-3 | Issue-1 , December 2018, URL: http://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd19177.pdf http://www.ijtsrd.com/other-scientific-research-area/other/19177/occurrence-and-distribution-of-stork-species-in-bundelkhand-region-the-drought-prone-landscape-of-india/sonika-kushwaha