Good news for Delhi's bird lovers as black kites thrive in the Capital

PUBLISHED: 23:32, 8 September 2014 | UPDATED: 23:33, 8 September 2014

Known scavengers, black kites consume about 100g of food daily and help dispose of waste

A recent study by the Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has brought a piece of good news for bird lovers in Delhi.

Among the major cities of the world, the national Capital has the highest density of black kites (Milvus migrans govinda). And for the past five decades, Delhi has been maintaining a stable breeding population of this bird, commonly known as ‘cheel’. 

Despite urbanisation and loss of green cover, Delhi’s black kite population has remained intact. 

According to the report by the Dehradun-based institute, the bird’s ‘nesting density’ in Delhi is 15 pairs per sq km, which is almost the same as the figures for 1970s.

In 1971, Russian scientist Vladimir M. Galushin had conducted a similar study across 150 sq km and assessed the black kite’s ‘nesting density’ at 16.1 pairs per sq km. 

Ghazipur in Delhi remains a hot spot for black kites, with abundance of food in the dumping yard, a large number of slaughter houses, and chicken/fish markets located there. 

To count the number of black kites in that locality, WII researchers developed the method of photograph-based count using software Image J. 

Read more: 

Bird experts and scientists left puzzled as birds fall dead from north Queensland skies

EXPERTS are looking for clues as to why common black kites are falling dead from north Queensland skies.

Black kites, also known as shite-hawks and firebirds, are medium-sized birds of prey and are among the few raptor species which gather in flocks.

Testing has so far excluded bird flu and Newcastle disease, both highly contagious viral infections linked to mass deaths of migratory wild birds, and transmissible to humans.

But the cause of the latest spate of deaths, possibly linked to a cross-border infection, is still a mystery.

Biosecurity Queensland has confirmed it is testing "several kites in relation to unexplained deaths in the tropical north Queensland region''.

"The exact number of bird deaths is unknown and estimates are not available at this stage of the investigation,'' a spokesman told The Courier-Mail.

He said a range of tests were being undertaken for potential causes.

"Laboratory testing is ongoing to determine the cause of this mortality incident.''

Environment Department wildlife director Beck Williams said her office would investigate if it was suspected the birds might have been illegally killed.

Bird of prey expert James Biggs said it was highly unusual for raptors to die in large numbers or, literally, drop dead from the sky.

"If it is not disease, it could possibly be poisoning, but without being familiar with the ongoing tests it is hard to know,'' the Cairns Tropical Zoo bird supervisor said.

Black kites prey on insects, small animals and birds, and can spend all day soaring on the wing, hawking insects out of the air and eating them on the fly.

"They are often seen hovering around fires, like cane burn-off, where they catch the insects pushed up on the updraft,'' Mr Biggs said.

"But if there is a road kill they will feed on that too.

"Whatever it is that is killing them I'd be very keen to know why. It's a puzzle.''

Members of the public can report bird deaths by calling 1300 264 625.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/bird-experts-and-scientists-left-puzzled-as-birds-fall-dead-from-north-queensland-skies/story-e6frg6n6-1226681410308