Common Teal Anas Crecca Research Articles

Restoring wetland biodiversity using research: Whole‐community facilitation by beaver as framework

Abstract Wetlands are declining worldwide, and there is a great need for their restoration and creation. One natural agent of wetland engineering is beavers, Castor spp., which have returned or are returning to many parts of their former range. We initially studied the facilitative effect of the beaver Castor canadensis on a waterbird community consisting of three waders and four ducks in boreal wetlands in southern Finland. Both waterbird species diversity and abundance increased when beavers impounded a pond. Common teal Anas crecca and green sandpiper Tringa ochropus were the species showing the most positive numerical response, but the other five species also increased upon flooding. This article evaluates how the results of the study have been used in management, both in theory and practice. The whole‐community facilitation concept has been taken up in numerous articles considering the restorative effects of beavers. It has also been used as ecological background when planning and executing man‐made wetland projects in Finland within both the public and the private sectors. Our study and its publication in Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems have set a foundation for further evidence‐based management of waterbird communities. As the results show, having beavers as wetland managers is a feasible tool for creating and restoring wetlands for waterbirds and other biota. Moreover, wetland restoration projects are becoming more popular endeavours, owing to an understanding of the diverse benefits of wetlands. Flooding by beavers is used as a model for managers when creating man‐made wetlands; for example, in urban areas where it is difficult to maintain beavers.

Winter diet and lead poisoning risk of Greater Spotted Eagles Clanga clanga in southeast Spain

ABSTRACT Capsule: Diet analysis revealed high lead exposure for Greater Spotted Eagles Clanga clanga wintering in southeast Spain. Aims: To describe the diet composition of the endangered Greater Spotted Eagle in a wintering area located in southeast Spain, and determine lead ammunition exposure through analysis of regurgitated pellets and prey remains. Methods: Between 2008 and 2018, a total of 26 pellets, 29 prey remains and 10 direct predation observations were collected in El Hondo Natural Park, Spain. All the pellets and 10 prey remains were analysed with X-ray in order to detect metal from ammunition. Results: Greater Spotted Eagles fed mainly on birds, with 18 different species accounting for 73.1% of prey items and 66.1% of biomass consumed. The most frequent species identified were Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus (23.1%), rats Rattus spp. (15.4%) and Common Teal Anas crecca (8.9%). Ammunition was detected in 42.3% of regurgitated pellets and in 40.0% of prey remains analysed. Of those containing ammunition, lead shot was found in 63.9% of pellets and 25.0% of prey remains. Conclusion: High lead shot presence in pellets and prey remains of wintering Greater Spotted Eagles in southeast Spain warns of a high risk of lead poisoning. Factors such as feeding behaviour, the large space–time overlap between the raptor presence and the waterbird hunting season and non-compliance with the ban on the use of lead ammunition are likely contributing to high lead exposure.

New record of Anaticola mergiserrati (Phthiraptera: Ischnocera: Philopteridae) from Sindh Province, Pakistan, with its detailed morpho-taxonomy

Abstract During the chewing lice examination on ducks for the genus Anaticola Clay, 25 ducks of five species (5 birds for each species) were examined from different water bodies of Sindh Province of Pakistan. A total of 65 specimens of chewing lice of genus Anaticola were collected including two species, A. crassicornis (Scopoli, 1773) and A. mergiserrati (De Geer, 1778) from only two species of ducks, common teal Anas crecca (L.) and common pochard Aythya ferina (L.). It is recovered for the first time from a duck of the genus Anas, which make the new host record in the world and first time reported from Pakistan making new country record. Keywords: Anas; Anaticola mergiserrati; New record; Pakistan; Sindh http://dx.doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2019.80005

The effect of beaver facilitation on Common Teal: pairs and broods respond differently at the patch and landscape scales

Avian species respond to ecological variability at a range of spatial scales and according to life history stage. Beaver dams create wetland systems for waterbirds that are utilized throughout different stages of the breeding season. We studied how beaver‐induced variability affected mobile pairs and more sedentary broods along with the production of Common Teal Anas crecca at the patch and landscape scale on their breeding grounds. Beavers Castor spp. are ecosystem engineers that enhance waterfowl habitats by impeding water flow and creating temporary flooding. Two landscapes in southern Finland with (Evo) and without (Nuuksio) American Beavers Castor canadensis were used in this study. To investigate the patch‐scale effect, pair and brood densities along with brood production were first compared at beaver‐occupied lakes and non‐beaver lakes in the beaver landscape. Annual pair and brood densities/km shoreline and brood production were compared between beaver and non‐beaver landscapes. Facilitative effects of beaver activity were manifest on brood density at both patch and landscape scales: these were over 90% and 60% higher in beaver patches and landscapes, respectively. An effect of beaver presence on pair density was only seen at the landscape level. Pair density did not strongly affect brood production, as shown earlier for relatively mildly density‐dependent Teal populations. Because the extent of beaver flooding was a crucial factor affecting annual Teal production in the study area, we infer beaver activity has consequences for the local Teal population. Ecosystem engineering by the beaver could therefore be considered a restoration tool in areas where waterfowl are in need of high‐quality habitats.

Sustainable management of migratory European ducks: finding model species

Eurasian migratory duck species represent a natural resource shared between European countries. As is evident throughout human harvest history, lack of coordinated management and monitoring at appropriate levels often leads to ‘the tragedy of the commons’, where shared populations suffer overexploitation. Effective management can also be hampered by poor understanding of the factors that limit and regulate migratory populations throughout their flyways, and over time. Following decades of population increase, some European duck populations now show signs of levelling off or even decline, underlining the need for more active and effective management. In Europe, the existing mechanisms for delivering effective management of duck populations are limited, despite the need and enthusiasm for establishing adaptive management (AM) schemes for wildlife populations. Existing international legal agreements already oblige European countries to sustainably manage migratory waterbirds. Although the lack of coordinated demographic and hunting data remains a challenge to sustainable management planning, AM provides a robust decision‐making framework even in the presence of uncertainty regarding demographic and other information. In this paper we investigate the research and monitoring needs in Europe to successfully apply AM to ducks, and search for possible model species, focusing on freshwater species (in contrast to sea duck species) in the East Atlantic flyway. Based on current knowledge, we suggest that common tealAnas crecca,Eurasian wigeonMareca penelopeand common goldeneyeBucephala clangularepresent the best species for testing the application of an AM modelling approach to duck populations in Europe. Applying AM to huntable species with relatively good population data as models for broader implementation represents a cost effective way of starting to develop AM on a European flyway scale for ducks, and potentially other waterbirds in the future.

Blood and cloacal swab sampling for avian influenza monitoring has no effect on survival rates of free‐ranging ducks

Concerns about the spread of avian influenza viruses (AIVs) have led to cloacal swab sampling of hundreds of thousands of birds worldwide as part of AIV surveillance schemes, but the effects of cloacal swabbing have not been adequately evaluated. We tested for differences between swabbed, swabbed and bled, and non‐sampled wild ducks in terms of live re‐encounter and dead recoveries for Common Pochard Aythya ferina and Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula, and also determined re‐encounter and recovery rates for Mallard Anas platyrhynchos and Common Teal Anas crecca. No effects of sampling methods were detected, except in Teal. Re‐encounter rates were lower in sampled Teal than in controls, with annual re‐encounter probabilities being 25% and 35% lower in males and females, respectively. Teal possibly left or avoided sampling sites, or sought sites where they were less detectable after sampling. In general, no deleterious effects were found, suggesting that cloacal swabbing and blood sampling are suitable methods for conducting AIV surveillance in ducks.

Whole‐community facilitation by beaver: ecosystem engineer increases waterbird diversity

ABSTRACTWetlands are rich in biodiversity, but globally threatened. After a long period of regional extirpation, beavers have recently returned to many European areas and are now restoring wetlands. The beaver is remarkable regarding the large impacts it has not only on individual species but on entire communities and ecosystems. In fact, beavers are referred to as ‘ecosystem engineers’.The facilitative effect of the beaver Castor canadensis on a waterbird community of seven species of waders and ducks in boreal ponds was studied by using the before–after control–impact method (BACI) and analysing the effect of the duration of flooding. The before–after setting could be used since beavers had caused disturbance by flooding several forest ponds during the course of this long‐term study (1988–2009). The study took place in southern Finland, where waterbirds were surveyed four times during the breeding season.The number of waterbird species per pond per year was significantly higher during beaver inundation than before beaver activity, as was the waterbird abundance per survey. Changes were negligible in the controls. The numbers of all seven species increased during flooding, although the increase was significant in only three species. Common teal Anas crecca and green sandpiper Tringa ochropus showed the most positive numerical response to flooding. Mallard Anas platyrhynchos and wigeon Anas penelope were new species entering the duck guild in the flooded wetlands. The beneficial effect of the flood lasted the whole period of inundation, although the most substantial increase in species number appeared during the first two years of flooding.The beaver acted as a whole‐community facilitator for waterbirds. It was inferred from previous studies that this was done by modifying the habitat to make it more productive and structurally favourable. It is concluded that favouring beavers is a worthwhile tool in restoring wetlands to promote waterbird communities. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Understanding and Analysing the Coordinates of Diversity of Wetland Birds of Asan Barrage near Paonta Sahib, Northern India

The winter migratory wetland bird’s diversity of Asan barrage, Uttarakhand, India has been studied during 2005-2012. A total 60 species of wetland birds belonging to 6 orders and 13 families were observed. The findings also hints that Rudy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea is the most dominant bird followed by Common Coot Fulica atra, Red-crested Pochard Rhodonessa rufina, Common Pochard Aythya ferina and Mallard Anas platyrhynchos. It was observed that Rudy Shelduck preferred Yamuna River waters rather than the traditional still pools, ponds, reservoirs etc. The same trend was displayed by Red-crested Pochard and Great-crested Grebe. On the contrary, winter migratory birds like Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata, Northern Pintail Anas acuta, Common Teal Anas crecca etc were found least in number at Asan Barrage but found in impressive numbers in Haryana traditional pools, ponds.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/on.v11i2.9599 Our Nature 2013, 11(2): 192-200

Spatio-temporal dynamics in waterbirds during the non-breeding season: Effects of local movements, migration and weather are monthly, not yearly

Predicting population sizes and dynamics of mobile organisms is important for trend estimation, but this is difficult when the origin of individuals cannot be determined, i.e. residents and migrants are indistinguishable in the field.Here we examine fluctuations in populations during the non-breeding season (autumn to spring) of seven waterbird species, which co-occur on 122 neighbouring water bodies in south-west Germany. We asked whether site-level abundance patterns can be predicted by weather variables, and whether these effects vary over months and years. We used a spatially explicit hidden Markov model to estimate the effects of local and regional movement on population fluctuations.Although the species varied in their dynamics, with different amounts of movement estimated between sites, several patterns were common across species: density effects were highly month-specific, but with little variation in the strength of effects over years. The abundance of most species was positively related to temperature, especially in winter.The common teal Anas crecca and common pochard Aythya ferina were the most site-fidelic species once they were present in the study area, but also exhibited the strongest regional migration. The mallard Anas platyrhynchos, tufted duck Aythya fuligula and great crested grebe Podiceps cristatus each behaved more like a single population, as individuals more frequently moved between sites and abundance fluctuations at sites were not explained by migratory movements alone.Our study shows that the strength of population parameters and environmental forces can be decomposed into monthly and yearly effects. Estimating the unknown origin and movement of individuals may show that commensurate populations of mobile species may have different underlying dynamics, while responding similarly to environmental factors.

Individual quality persists between years: individuals retain body condition from one winter to the next in Teal

Few studies have considered how body condition changes over time in individual birds, and most of these concerned long-lived breeding birds. We used a large database of Common Teal Anas crecca ringed and recaptured while wintering in the Camargue to study inter-annual persistence in wing length and body condition. Winter body condition may be a major determinant of survival during that season, and may further be related to breeding success. Indices of condition were compared for individual Teal between the moments of ringing and of recapture the following winter, analyzing each sex and age class (adult or juvenile) separately. Wing length was highly repeatable between years, though some limited annual variation was also recorded in adult males. Using scaled mass index as an index of body condition, we observed that condition at ringing was the strongest predictor of body condition at recapture for males and juvenile females, although inter- and intra-annual variation was also significant in most cases. The value of the slope for the relationship between individual body condition indices at ringing and recapture did not differ from 1 for males and for adults, whereas, for juvenile females, the slope was significantly greater than 1, indicating that individual differences in condition became more exaggerated over time. When analyses were repeated using crude body mass instead of a condition index, results were generally similar. Birds recaptured the following winter had a greater body condition at ringing that those that were not recaptured, supporting the hypothesis of a link between winter body condition and return probability. Our results demonstrate the importance of a head start in Teal, given persistent effects of obtaining better condition in the first winter, and suggest specific age and sex effects. They also underline the value of condition indices as a long-term predictor of individual quality in birds, even during the non-breeding season and for such a relatively short-lived species.

Discussing implications of fast depleting rural ponds on the globally threatened wetland winter migratory bird in Haryana: a Case Study of Nigdu village pond in Karnal District

The Nigdu-Sarovar is located in Nilokheri block in Karnal district in Haryana (29°50°N, 76°55°E). The duration of observations span over seven years (September, 2005 to March, 2012). The recording of wetland winter visitor birds during 2005-08 in winter season included atleast 58 species of birds belonging to 10 orders and 18 families. It is important to mention that 29 species of wetland birds were winter migratory, 17 residents, 9 local migratory and three species of wetland birds like Lesser-whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica, Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus and Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus were summer migratory. The special features of 2005-06 winter was the huge populations of birds like Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata, Northern Pintail Anas acuta, Common Teal Anas crecca, Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhynchus, Common Pochard Aythya ferina, Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus, Greylag Goose Anser anser, Gadwall Anas strepera, Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, Mallard Anas platyrhynchos and Common Redshank Tringa totanus etc.In successive years, the scenario was more or less a substantial one depicting stability with respect to diversity of birds, number of birds upto the year of 2008. The popular birds included Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala, Openbill Stork Anastomus oscitans, White-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus, Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus, Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia, Spotted Greenshank Tringa guttifer and Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrines. The sharp decline in winter migratory birds at Nigdu-Sarovar started in the year of 2008 when the pond was leased out for FISH-FARMING as per the policies of Govt. of Haryana. Fish Farming based deepening of the pond by excavation of bottom resulting in total decimation of rooted, floating, submerged and ejecting plants along with its subsidiary fauna, Zooplanktons, phytoplankton etc. The age old structural regime of the pond was obliterated to turn it in a scientifically managed fish pond. The year of 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 (March, 2012) showed the total absence of migratory birds like Mallards, several Geese, Dabbling Ducks, Pochards and Teals etc. As of today (2012), the sarovar is a clean sheet of water with bird repelling devices installed in places.

Wetland use by brood‐rearing female ducks in a boreal forest landscape: the importance of food and habitat

Habitat use by birds may be related to single or interacting effects of habitat characteristics, food resources and predators, but little is known about factors affecting habitat use by wetland species in boreal ecosystems. We surveyed brood‐rearing females and ducklings of four common boreal duck species to assess the effects of habitat structure and food resources on the use of wetlands by brood‐rearing ducks. Although wetland use by duck broods was related to habitat structure and food abundance, their relative importance varied among duck species. For theCommonGoldeneyeBucephala clangula, a diving duck, aquatic invertebrates and large emerging insects were the most important factors associated with wetland use.CommonTealAnas creccabroods were observed more often on wetlands with greaterDipteran emergence, whereas inMallardAnas platyrhynchosboth habitat structure and large emerging insects were important. The occurrence ofEurasianWigeonAnas penelopebroods was related to emergingDiptera and habitat structure but the associations were not strong. The varying habitat and food requirements of common duck species could influence the success of wetland management programmes, and consideration of these factors may be particularly important for initiatives aimed at harvested species or species of conservation concern.

Analysis of avian-biodiversity in rural wetland environs in Panipat district in Haryana, India

The present study has observed 67 species of wetland birds, belonging to, 10 orders and 18 families from rural wetland Environs in Panipat district located at a distance of 90 KMs north of Delhi on National Highway No.1 (29.39°N 76.97°E) in Haryana, India. Out of 67 species, 35 species were winter migrants, 18 residents, 10 local migrants and four species were summer migrants. Peculiar species of birds recorded in Panipat rural ponds are Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala, White-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus, Asian openbill- Stork Anastomusoscitans, Lesser Adjutant Stork Leptoptilos javanicus, Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus, Oriental White Ibis Threskiornis melanocephalus, Black Ibis Pseudibis papillosa, Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus, Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia, Brahminy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea, Comb Duck Sarkidiornis melanotos, Tufted Pochard Aythya fuligula and Green Sandpiper Tringa ochropus. On the other hand, familiar species include amongst others, Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus, Common Coot Fulica atra, Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata, Northern Pintail Anas acuta, Common Teal Anas crecca, Common Pochard Aythya ferina, Gadwall Anas strepera and Lesser-whistling Duck Dendrocygna javanica etc. Longest stay during winter season was demonstrated by birds like Northern Shoveller, Northern Pintail, Bar-headed Goose, Greylag Goose and Rudy Shelduck, whereas shortest winter sojourn was observed in case of Mallard, Eurasian Wigeon and Common Pochard. It is interesting to note that migratory birds like Northern Shoveller, Northern Pintail, Common Teal, Bar-headed Goose, Tufted Pochard, and Common Pochard come to Panipat rural ponds from very far off places like Central Russia, Caspian USSR, Siberia, Ladhakh and Central Asia, West and Central Asia and Siberia respectively.

Description Of Avian Bio-Diversity Of Damdamma Jheel In Gurgaon District In Haryana, India

Damdamma Jheel is a wetland of impressive potentials of harboring rich avian bio-diversity in the accompaniment of enhanced habitat reconstruction and improvement. It is located in the National Capital Region, nearby Sohana town in Gurgaon district in Haryana merely 45 Kms from Dhaula Kuan in New Delhi. At present, compared to Sultanpur National Park, it is confronting neglect. Considering its positive features of terrain, water sheet, it has the qualities of being a rich habitat for birds of all hues including the winter migratory birds. The present studies focus attention on its avian biodiversity as well as its own degraded form and structure. In all, 128 species of birds belonging to 15 orders and 41 families could be enlisted. Order Passeriformes is the predominant one having 54 species, followed by Charadriiformes (14 Species) and Ciconiiformes (12 Species). The prominent winter migratory birds observed from Damdamma Jheel include Asian Openbill Stork Anastomus oscitans , Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia , Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata , Northern Pintail Anas acuta , Common Teal Anas crecca , Common Pochard Aythya ferina , Gadwall Anas strepera , Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha , Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus , Common Redshank Tringa tetanus, Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia , Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus , White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus , Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis , Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola , Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos , White Wagtail Motacilla alba and Yellow Wagtail Motacilla flava . The lake is suffering from water scarcity considering its capacity and potential to have more water. The periphery towards east is plagued by the growth of peats. The very fact that in October 2012, a large group of Openbill Stork (Nearly 70-80) has already arrived at Damdamma Lake since September-2012 indicates that it is the largest HARBOUR of Open-bill Stork in Haryana. Also, Eurasian Spoonbills were seen in a group 10-12, again the largest in Haryana. It is argued in this paper, that Damdamma is the pride lake of Haryana and prime harbor for uncommon winter migratory birds like Open-bill Stork and Eurasian Spoonbill must be the prime place for habitat reconstruction by Ministry of Environment and Forest, Govt. of India in conjunction with Govt. of Haryana with the active contributions by WWF (India) to add to the might vastness of this lake an element of grace and glory so as to conserve the winter migratory birds during their sojourn in India. In addition, it will be one nodal point to include Sultanpur National Park, Badkhal Lake, Bhindawas and Keoladeo National Park as an eco-tourism rectangle with provision for night halt.

Documentation of avian diversity of Khaparwas Bird Sanctuary in Jhajjar district in Haryana, India

Khaparwas is a designated Bird Sanctuary under the administrative control of Wildlife Department of Government of Haryana in India vide notification dated 27th March, 1991. Its total area is 204.36 Acres. During the study period of four years (1997-2002), a total of 164 species of birds belonging to 16 Orders, 44 families were recorded from the Khaparwas bird Sanctuary in Jhajjar district in Haryana, India. Out of 164 species of birds, 104 species were residents, 45 species were winter migratory, 9 species of birds local migratory, 5 species were summer migratory and one species of bird was Straggler. In so far as, Abundance Status is concerned, 64 species of birds were Occasional, 60 species Common and 40 species were Uncommon. Birds like Black Ibis Pseudibis papillosa, Jungle Bush Quail Perdicula asiatica, Red Jungle Fowl Gallus gallus, Eurasian Curlews Numenius arquata, Eurasian Eagle Owl Bubo bubo, and Stork Billed Kingfisher Halcyon capensis were observed as specific to this area. Prominent migratory birds like Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata, Northern Pintail Anas acuta, Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope, Garganey Anas querquedula, Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha, Common Teal Anas crecca, Common Pochard Aythya ferina, Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus, Eurasian Curlew, Common Snipe Gallinago gallinago and Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia were recorded in winter season only. In view of the present studies, it is strongly recommended that Khaparwas Bird Sanctuary in Jhajjar district in Haryana must be conserved in a better way, due to its proximity to Bhindawas Bird Sanctuary and Keoldeo National Park in Rajasthan and the rich avian diversity observed in present studies. Khaparwas has the potential to occupy a National Character as a Sanctuary.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ijls.v6i1.5597

TRADITIONAL RURAL WETLANDS IN HARYANA STATE OF INDIA ARE CURRENTLY CONFRONTING MULTICORNERED THREATS LEADING TO EXTINCTION SOONER THAN LATER

The most serious threat to traditional rural ponds in Haryana is associated with transformed societal behavioural patterns, ethics, values and life style, amongst several others. The siltation of ponds with adjoining areas, soil coming in with rain water is a very serious cause of stratification of rural ponds. Also contracting of village community land for sun drying of cow dung cakes inspires villagers to overload periphery of each pond with cow dung turning the premises into grave-yard of dung. This dung is the major source of polluting pond water into blackish water with high load of organic matter. Moreover, it leads to over excessive eutrophication. Building of major highways and connectivity roads have resulted into compartmentalization and degradation of village ponds. Inhabitation of peripheral village ponds boundaries by lower section of society for dwelling purposes is more threat to wetlands. The indifferent inclination of villagers towards silted ponds drenched in bad odour and blackish sludge is the story of 80% of the cases. The total blockage of run-off rainy water towards the natural age old rural ponds due to obstruction by way of human inhabitation has resulted into desertification of shallow water sheet in 90% of the cases. The oblivion of harvesting dried silt in summer for brick making has spelled doom for the ponds turning them into flat ground through successive decades and so on. The water quality in all ponds was overshooting the decaying stage due to the continuous mixing of cow dung drenched rainy water. Over excessive usage of ponds for bathing of cattle, dumping of cow dung and rotten vegetables waste has turned ponds into live sinks of dirt, garbage and rural dairy wastes. Majority of village ponds are now out of existence or in deep black sludge laden or converted into Fish-Farming wetlands. The present studies have indicated that Winter migratory birds like Greylag Goose Anser anser, Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus, Mallard Anas platyrhynchos, Gadwall Anas strepera, Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata, Northern Pintail Anas acuta, Garganey Anas querquedula, Common Teal Anas crecca, Common Pochard Aythya ferina, Tufted Pochard Aythya fuligula, Common Coot Fulica atra, Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius, Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrines, Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus, Common Redshank Tringa tetanus, Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis, Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola and Pied Avocet Recurivirostra avosetta arrive in the extremely dilapidated rural ponds in Haryana from far off places including Russia, Siberia, China, and Caspian region, east Asia each winter season without any break. As such the extinction of ponds in Haryana directly threatens global avian biodiversity. Keywords: Traditional Rural Wetlands, Perennial Rainy Water, Road Side Puddles, Land Filling, Commercial and Residential Construction, Highway reconstruction

Determination of spectrum of winter migratory birds in Yamuna nagar district in Haryana (India)

During the three years of study (2005-08), some 58 species of wetland birds were observed in approximately 120 village ponds; out of these, atleast 28 species of wetland birds are winter migratory, coming from far off places located across the Himalayas. During the winter sojourns, these winter migratory birds face multiple threats in rural ponds of Haryana due to cipher attention of conservation authorities and persistent and accelerated utilization of rural ponds by the resident villagers. If the present admixture of interference and disturbance continues, then winter migratory birds like Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus, Greylag Goose Anser anser, Common Coot Fulica atra, Northern Shoveller Anas clypeata, Northern Pintail Anas acuta, Common Teal Anas crecca, Gadwall Anas strepera, Mallard Anas platyrhynchos, Common Pochard Aythya ferina, Tufted Pochard Aythya fuligula, Brahminy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea and Red-crested Pochard Rhodonessa rufina will be wiped out just like Siberian Cranes arrived in Keoladeo National park in Rajasthan in India. The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India should pay timely attention to save migratory birds that visit India every winter in Lakhs and Crores.