July
15, 2016, 5:04 pm
By
Muhammad Shahzeb
Pakistan,
situated in the South of Asia, is homeland to unique flora and
fauna. This country is blessed with amazing diversity in terms of land
and climate. It has snow-capped mountains, sandy beaches, desserts,
plateaus, wetlands, lakes and plain fields It is not only home to a wide range
of native birds but also attracts millions of birds across the world, from
places as far as Siberia.
However
even in such lucrative conditions, ecological and geographical diversity
ranging from tropical to mountainous, arid zones to fertile lands, there are
some birds’ species, which are enlisted as endangered species. Rapid
urbanization, unauthorized bird hunting, deforestation, intensification of
agriculture, increasingly sophisticated waste disposal practices, natural and
man-made disasters have disrupted the delicate ecological balance consequently
hampering the biological surroundings of these birds, disrupting food chain
and breeding grounds.
Sarcogyps calvus commonly known as red-headed
vulture is one of the birds which is at the risk of extinction. This
magnificent bird which was a breeding resident in the Salt Range and Jhang was
spotted regularly however now it is a rarely seen perhaps near Tharparkar
border areas.
The
northern region of Pakistan is bestowed with dry temperate forests especially
in Indus-Kohistan (Hazara) district which is home to Western horned
tragopan (Tragopan melanocephalus).
It gets its name “Tragopan” from the displaying males’ resemblance to the
mythological Greek god Pan “Tragos “goat” +Pan). This bird is considered to be
the rarest of all living pheasants. It is an endangered species both in
Pakistan and globally.
The houbara bustard
(Chlamydotis undulate) is a bird of
arid zones. It is an endangered bird. Every year this endangered bird migrates
to the deserts of Baluchistan. Though officially protected this bird is
hunted as game bird especially to please foreign dignitaries and royalties. Due
to unregulated hunting and government neglect the population of Asian
Houbara has come decimated todangerous level.
The
greater adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius)
is huge bird hailing from the order Ciconiidae.
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