Important Bird Areas (IBA)

Dr Oinam Sunanda Devi *

Yangoupokpi-Lokchao Wildlife Sanctuary :: Pix - Dr Oinam Sunanda

Birds are one amongst the most magnificent creatures God have ever created. They are regarded as important indicators of a country's environmental health, overall biological diversity and the most significant bird area is also important for other animals and plants. It is asserted that the avian faunas are convenient indicators of biodiversity and also useful for monitoring environmental changes. Their abundance and scarcity is directly related with the condition of the forests and wetland ecosystems.

Again, the avian communities are suitable subject for the study of community response to disturbance. Not only that they represent a key ecosystem component, they also are helpful in our own existence, for example, they destroy many insect pests and vermin, some of them are scavengers which clean our environment by speedly devouring dead animals, they act as flower pollinators, seed dispersers and even serve as food for us.

They are also one of the best researched taxa in India and a fairly reliable indicator of biodiversity loss. Here, I would like to mention that our State, Manipur, falls under the Endemic bird area of Eastern Himalayas which is considered one of the most important biodiversity hotspot harbouring, wide varieties of animals inhabiting in diversified habitat mosaics. More than 400 species of birds are identified so far from Manipur.

The Important Birds Areas (IBA) are priority sites identified all over the world for bird conservation by the Birdlife International. They are places of international significance for the conservation of birds at the global, regional or sub-regional level. These IBAs are practical tools for conservation, and are chosen using standardized, agreed criteria viz: A1- presence of globally threatened species; A2- coverage of restricted range species; A3- presence of biome restricted assemblages and A4- congregation of large numbers of birds.

Further, the IBAs must, wherever possible, be large enough to support self-sustaining populations of those species for which they are important. Apart from these, the IBAs are places which can be defined and distinguished from surrounding areas, and which are feasible to conserve and they should form part of a wider, integrated approach to conservation that embraces sites, species and habitat protection.

Given that birds are good indicators of overall biological diversity, most IBAs are also important for other animals and plants. A significant proportion of bird (and other animal and plant species) can be effectively conserved by the protection of key sites, either as official protected areas (national parks and sanctuaries) with necessary and appropriate management, and / or through the promotion of sustainable land-use practices.

In India, four hundred and sixty-five IBA sites were identified so far by the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) under the worldwide IBA inventory programme covering all species, restricted range species, biome-assemblages and congregatory species (many wetland birds). The analysis of these 465 IBAs shows that 425 sites have globally threatened species (A1), 205 sites hold restricted range species (A2), and 99 sites qualify biome-restricted assemblages (A3) and 136 sites fit the congregatory (A4) criteria. Many sites fit more than one criterion, and some sites such as Keoladeo National Park and Chilika Lake qualify all the four criteria.

Blessed with unique diversity of habitats, Manipur also harbours 9 Important Bird Areas fulfilling more than one criterion mentioned above.

The nine IBAs are
i. Ango or Anko Hills (IBA criteria, A1, A2), Ukhrul District.
ii. Bunning Wildlife Sanctuary (IBA criteria, A1, A2), Tamenglong District.
iii. Dzuku Valley (IBA criteria, A1, A2), Senapati District.
iv. Jiri-Makru WLS (IBA criteria, A1) Imphal East & Tamenglong District.
v. Kailum Wildlife Sanctuary, (IBA criteria, A1, A2), Churachandpur District.
vi. Loktak Lake & Keibul Lamjao NP (IBA criteria, A1, A4iii), Bishnupur & Imphal West Districts.
vii. Shiroy Community Forest, (IBA criteria, A1, A2), Ukhrul District
viii. Yangoupokpi Lokchao WLS (IBA criteria, A1), Chandel District.
ix. Zeilad Lake Sanctuary (IBA criteria, A1), Tamenglong District.

The Loktak Lake is the largest fresh water Lake of North-Eastern India which is also a Ramsar site and the Keibul Lamjao National Park is the only floating National Park in the world. Simply, Ramsar sites are Important Bird Areas where more than 20,000 migratory water birds congregate every year apart from presence of globally threatened species.

We are aware of the fact that the unique habitat of Loktak Lake & Keibul Lamjao National Park along with the endemic & globally threatened cervid Cervus eldi eldi locally called as Sangai are world famous but knowledge about the other IBAs and their wildlife are limited. Due to the burgeoning human population, the forests were often cleared for human settlements illegally and as a result of rapid habitat degradation and logging activities at these IBAs, the existence of many wildlife species including birds & their specific habitats were threatened.

Intense hunting pressure and general disturbances are also taking a toll on the diversity and abundance of endemic & globally threatened avian fauna at these sites and thus, some species maybe probably extinct locally before being discovered. As most of the hill tribes of Manipur are avid hunters and they hardly spare any wildlife. All types of wild animals and birds are hunted, from large galliformes, hornbills, to deer and primates.

Jhumming or shifting cultivation is also considered to be the biggest cause of the destruction of the natural forest in these sites. Even the world famous Loktak Lake ecosystem has also been changed considerably after the construction of the multipurpose hydel and irrigation project at Ithai. The natural wetland with fluctuating water level has been converted to a reservoir with more or less constant water level. Besides bringing about basic hydrological changes, this has resulted in severe problems for the lake biota and the communities traditionally dependent on it.

Loktak was therefore, been placed in the Montreaux record, a list of internationally important wetlands (Ramsar Sites) that have undergone or are undergoing significant changes in their ecological character. The Lake ecosystem is also threatened by excessive loading of silt and nutrients from various anthropogenic sources. Deforestation, shifting cultivation, uncontrolled use of fertilisers in agricultural lands, and discharge of domestic wastes, all contribute to the input of silt and nutrients into the lake which accelerate the ageing of the lake by rapid siltation and excessive biomass production.

The rich wildlife of Manipur including its birdlife was described earlier by many renowned British Ornithologists, such as A.O. Hume, way back in 1880s. If we check out the historical records of threatened birds, there were many birds recorded from Manipur earlier such as
Oriental Stork Ciconia boyciana,
Greater Adjutant Leptoptilos dubius,
White-winged Duck Cairina scutulata,
Spot-billed Pelican Pelecanus philippensis,
Baikal Teal Anas formosa,
Baer's Pochard Aythya baeri,
Pallas's Fish-Eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus,
Greater Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga,
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni,
Blyth's Tragopan Tragopan blythii,
Sarus Crane Grus antigone,
Hooded Crane Grus monacha,
Masked Finfoot Heliopais personata,
Wood Snipe Gallinago nemoricola,
Rufous-necked Hornbill Aceros nipalensis,
Tawny-breasted Wren Babbler Spelaeornis longicaudatus, and
Beautiful Nuthatch Sitta formosa etc
as per Birdlife International 2001.

It is further stated that if proper surveys are conducted, some of these species could be found even now. The status and present distribution record of state bird of Manipur, Mrs Humes Pheasant Syrmaticus humiae, Manipur Bush Quail Perdicula manipurensis and the endangered Green Peafowl Pavo muticus needs confirmation right away as these species have decreasing population trend per IUCN 2010.

But very few studies were conducted on these Important Bird Areas (IBAs) of Manipur and very little information was available about their birdlife, as a result the Birdlife International designated all the IBAs of Manipur as Data Deficient sites. It was unfortunate for us that due to remoteness and difficult terrain in addition to the prevailing law and order situations of Manipur, we are not able to continue long term studies at these IBAs.

In my experience, frequent strikes and bandhs also hamper the research studies and most of the local people are not the least concern for the state's rich biodiversity and their conservation awareness campaigns owing to the present scenario of the state. Some information were available for the Loktak Lake, Keibul Lamjao NP and the Yangoupokpi Lokchao WLS but about other IBAs, the information was very little and there is no recent studies conducted at these sites. In this regard, I strongly feel the need for immediate avifaunal surveys of all these data deficient IBAs in view of their deteriorating habitats which might still harbour many endemic and threatened avian species.

Apart from these, immediate awareness education programs on conservation of threatened birds and other such wildlife and its associated habitats must be taken up. The importance of these sites itself on the local communities for their own livelihood and survival must be addressed. The state government departments such as Forest Department and other major institutions must also provide assistance and encouragement to young local youths, research students and NGOs working in the field to carry out such biodiversity inventory and conservation works.

There are also possibilities of working in collaboration with renowned conservation organizations of India such as the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), Mumbai, the pioneer institution of India working in the field of avian conservation. There are also certain conservation organizations which provide small grants to individuals for working on small research projects in these Data Deficient IBAs and protected areas namely the Rufford Small Grants Foundation (RSGF), Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP), Oriental Bird Club, Mohamed Bin Zyed Species Conservation Fund, Royal Society for Protection of Birds (RSPB), Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology & Environment (ATREE), Foundation for Ecological Security, (FES) and Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) etc.

Apart from these, some local NGOs of Manipur such as MASS, Manipur Nature Society, NECEER, Global Science Club, Generation de new image, Environmental social information and Sangai protection forum, Nongmaikhong Youth Club etc are trying very hard to save the wildlife and their natural habitats of Manipur. Such organizations must be given support and encouragement by the local people and the State Government itself.

Lastly, I would like to add that working in field of wildlife conservation in the remote areas of Manipur requires lots of courage and strong will along with the support of local people. Therefore, let us work together and help restore the state's rich biodiversity and let's prevent it from further destruction. We have much to show the world other than just as a disturbed state situated at the Indo-Burma border.