Rapid Fire
Kaziranga Records High Diversity of Grassland Birds
- 16 Jul 2025
- 2 min read
Kaziranga National Park, Assam best known for its one-horned rhinos, has now emerged as a biodiversity hotspot for grassland birds.
- First dedicated grassland bird survey conducted in Kaziranga recorded 43 species across its three wildlife divisions. Includes rare and threatened species like:
- Critically Endangered: Bengal florican
- Endangered: Finn’s weaver, Swamp grass babbler
- Vulnerable (6 species): Black-breasted parrotbill, Marsh babbler, Swamp francolin, Jerdon’s babbler, Slender-billed babbler, Bristled grassbird
- Finn’s weaver found to be breeding successfully, indicating healthy grassland ecosystems.
- Kaziranga’s 1,174 sq. km habitat supports rich birdlife, with grassland bird diversity comparable to Gujarat and Rajasthan.
- The study marks as a key step in avian conservation in Northeast India.
- Kaziranga National Park:
- It was established as a Reserve Forest in 1908 to protect the Indian rhinoceros, it became a Wildlife Sanctuary in 1950, National Park in 1974, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. And it was declared as a Tiger Reserve in 2007 due to high tiger density.
- It is known for the Big Five: Rhinoceros, Tiger, Elephant, Asiatic Wild Buffalo, and Eastern Swamp Deer. Nearly the entire population of Eastern Swamp Deer is found here.
- It is located along the Brahmaputra River, which brings rich nutrients but also causes habitat loss through erosion.
| Read more: Golden Tiger in Kaziranga National Park |
