SARUS CRANE - ENVIRONMENT
News: SP
chief alleges Sarus crane missing from sanctuary, slams BJP; DFO refutes claim
What's in the news?
● Samajwadi
Party chief Akhilesh Yadav alleged the Sarus crane, which was taken away by
Forest Department officials from a man in Amethi who rescued it and was taking
care of it for a year, to the Samaspur bird sanctuary, went missing and was
later rescued by some locals.
Sarus Crane:
● The
Sarus crane is the tallest flying bird
in the world standing 152-156 cm tall with a wingspan of 240cm. The sarus
crane is easily distinguished from other cranes in the region by its overall
grey colour and the contrasting red head and upper neck.
● It
is the State bird of Uttar Pradesh.
● Sarus
Crane is a non-migratory crane found
in parts of the Indian Subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia.
● It
is India’s only resident breeding crane.
Habitat:
● Natural wetlands
with low water depth, marshy and fallow areas and agricultural fields.
● The
agricultural fields and wetlands of eastern Uttar Pradesh are home to largest
number of Sarus Crane in India.
● It
is mainly found on the lowlands along the Gangetic plains of Uttar Pradesh and
in larger wetlands of Gujarat, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Assam.
● It
is found in open wetlands in South Asia, seasonally flooded Dipterocarpus
forests in Southeast Asia, and Eucalyptus-dominated woodlands and grasslands in
Australia.
Features:
● The
bird is a social creature, found
mostly in pairs or small groups of three or four. They are known to mate for
life with a single partner.
● They
play a vital role in ecological balance by controlling the population of
harmful insects and have significant cultural importance.
Threats:
● Habitat loss and
degradation due to draining the wetland and
conversion of land for agriculture.
● Electrocution
(death or serious injury caused by electric shock) due to power transmission
lines in agricultural areas
● Poisoning
due to ingestion of pesticides from agricultural fields.
● Hunting
of adults
● Collection
of eggs and chicks for trade, food, medicinal purposes and to help limit damage
to crops and to help limit damage to crops.
Conservation Status:
● Listed
in Schedule IV of the Wildlife
(Protection) Act 1972 of India
● IUCN
Red List Status - Vulnerable.