Rare bird species found in northern Myanmar

A sedge of rare sarus cranes has been discovered in the wetlands that surround Kachin State’s Indawgyi Lake.

A press statement released on June 22 by the British-based biodiversity and conservation group, Fauna and Flora International, said they first made the discovery of the distinctive red-headed bird in December 2013.

“First we just saw their charismatic red heads sticking out of the tall green grass but through our telescopes we soon spotted the amazing number of nine individuals,” said Ko Ngwe Lwin, FFI’s project manager at Indawgyi Lake.

FFI said the species is the tallest of the flying birds, measuring up to 1.8 metres (5.9 ft) in height and is occasionally spotted in Rakhine State and the Ayeyarwady Delta, but is rarely seen in such numbers in northern Myanmar.

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Rare bird at risk as farms encroach

VietNamNet Bridge – The decline of the Sarus crane, the tallest flying bird in the world, is causing concern for conservationists.

Sarus cranes at Dong Thap Province's Tam Nong
Natural Conservation
 Centre. A decline in the bird's
 population has conservationists concerned about its survival.

Less than 2,000 members of the Indochinese subspecies are left in Cambodia, extreme southern Laos, Myanmar and southern Viet Nam.

Every November, the birds migrate to Tram Chim National Park in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta's Dong Thap Province. In 1998, about 1,100 Sarus cranes arrived in the national park.

But in recent years, that number has dwindled to approximately 200, said Nguyen Van Hung, director of the national park.

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Forest department to launch campaign for conservation of Sarus crane

KANPUR: State forest department is making preparations to organise activities like debate, seminars, spot visits, film shows on the conservation of state bird Sarus crane- (grus antigone) within the periphery of wetlands and water-bodies ahead of World Wetland Day on February 2.

The aim of the campaign is to spread awareness on conservation of Sarus crane among school children and encourage them to protect the bird's habitat.

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