Assam village made famous by a bird

Guwahati, October 6
Dadara is not just another village in Assam’s Brahmaputra Valley. Located about one-hour drive away from Guwahati, the village boasts of a rare tree-top nesting colony of the endangered Greater Adjutant Storks.

The colony of the rare Greater Adjutant Storks at Dadara village has become a sort of role model for conservation of rare avian species with community participation, thanks to a sustained programme of the Aaranyak, a society for bio-diversity conservation.

“Out of the 20 stork species surviving on Earth, the Greater Adjutant is the rarest having a global population of less than 1,000. Its habitats are found only in a few places of Cambodia, Bihar and Assam,” said Aaranyak researcher Purnima Devi Barman.

The Brahmaputra Valley of Assam accounts for about 85 per cent (over 800 units) of the global population of the bird and is considered a major stronghold of the species. Habitat destruction is found to be a primary cause for the declining population of the stork. 

Being a colonial bird, the Greater Adjutant Stork breeds in colonies atop tall trees grown on private land. The survival of these birds mainly depends on the willingness and support of the nest tree owners towards the conservation effort. 

Continued:  http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20121007/main6.htm