Kaziranga records high diversity of grassland bird species
Researchers have found a great diversity of grassland bird species in the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve.
In the first such survey of avians conducted between March 18 and May 25, a team of forest officials, bird experts, scientists, and conservationists recorded 43 grassland species across Kaziranga's three wildlife divisions. The survey report was released on Monday (July 14, 2025), marking a milestone in the documentation and protection of grassland-dependent bird species in the Brahmaputra floodplains.
They included the critically endangered Bengal florican, the endangered Finn's weaver, and the swamp grass babbler. Among the remaining 40 species, six were in the vulnerable category — the black-breasted parrotbill, marsh babbler, swamp francolin, Jerdon's babbler, slender-billed babbler, and bristled grassbird.
Grassland health
'A highlight of this survey is that the Finn's weaver, locally known as tukura chorai, is breeding successfully. This remarkable bird, a master nest-builder atop trees, is a vital indicator of grassland health,' Assam's Environment Minister, Chandra Mohan Patowary, said while releasing the report.
The 1,174 sq. km Kaziranga is a mix of grasslands, forestlands, and wetlands.
'The study is significant because wet grasslands are not very well surveyed in India. Kaziranga's grassland bird diversity can, thus, be compared in terms of species richness with the dry grasslands of Gujarat and Rajasthan,' the national park's director, Sonali Ghosh, said.
A key highlight of the study was the deployment of passive acoustic recorders, enabling non-invasive and continuous monitoring even in inaccessible or high-risk areas. This approach significantly improved species detection, especially of shy and cryptic birds, enhancing the overall accuracy and depth of the findings.
The report identifies several critical grassland habitats within Kaziranga that support significant populations of threatened and endemic species. One such habitat is the park's Kohora Range, where a breeding colony of the Finn's weaver was spotted.
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They thrive in places where the rainfall is low, typically between 600 and 1500 mm annually. 2. They are even more useful than forests and provide a host of ecosystem services — storing water and carbon, recycling chemical, and controlling the climate. And, vitally, feeding us and our livestock, besides the wild herbivores that roam the plains. Even the ferocious carnivores must be grateful to grasslands: because grasses feed their prey species. 3. In India, almost a quarter of landmass is covered in grassland. This includes the alpine meadows of the Himalayas, the chaurs in the foothills, the famous terai grasslands in the flood plains of the Ganges and Brahmaputra, the phumdis, or the quivering wet grasslands of Manipur (where the deer 'dance'), the savannas of western and peninsular India and the renowned 'sholas' of the Western Ghats. 4. Different names are used in the world to refer to grasslands. 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On Tuesday (29th July), officials released a summary report for 2024 titled 'Status of Tigers in the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve', with the findings of a Phase IV tiger monitoring initiative across Eastern Assam, Nagaon, and Biswanath Wildlife Divisions. This was done at the direction of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). 2. The survey documented 148 tigers in the reserve, up from 104 recorded in 2022, 99 in 2018 and 96 in 2014. Reserve director Sonali Ghosh said these findings show that Kaziranga has the third-highest density of tigers in the world, after Corbett Tiger Reserve in Uttarakhand and Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka. 3. The survey was conducted over 103 days using 293 paired camera traps across 1307.49 square kilometres, which yielded 4,011 tiger images in 242 locations. The report states that the right-flank stripes of the animals in these images were used to identify 148 adult tigers – 83 females, 55 males, and 10 with undetermined gender. 4. 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Established in 2023, honouring 50 years of Project Tiger, the IBCA aims to promote the protection of seven big cats: the tiger, leopard, snow leopard, lion, cheetah, puma and jaguar. The 'Project Tiger' is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) launched by the Central government on April 1, 1973, in a bid to promote conservation of the tiger. The programme came at a time when India's tiger population was rapidly dwindling. 📍Wildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972 status: Schedule I. 📍IUCN Red List status: Endangered. 📍CITES status: Appendix I. (1) Consider the following pairs: How many pairs given above are correctly matched? 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Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Khushboo Kumari is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She has done her graduation and post-graduation in History from the University of Delhi. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. She holds experience in UPSC-related content development. You can contact her via email: ... Read More
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