JOIN US'1,200 birds face extinction threat'
“Human factors have caused the decline of bird life in Delhi and Russia. The reasons include human encroachment of bird habitat, invasions by alien plant and animal species, hunting in Russia and climate change as a result of human activities,” said Victor Zubakin, President of the Russian Bird Conservation Union, Moscow. He spoke about the possible threats to birds on the sidelines of a video conference between conservation scientists from New Delhi and Russia at the Russian Embassy’s Information Centre.
Scientists believe that birds act as a crucial early-warning medium in society. They say that humans will vanish before birds become extinct, as birds play an integral part in maintaining good ecosystems.
“Violation of the food chain leads to ecological imbalance. This further results in global environmental catastrophes and epidemics. This is common to all countries, because birds do not adapt to changing environment. They die instead,” said Dr Vladimir Galushin, zoology professor at the Moscow State Pedagogical University.
Experts say the situation has worsened over the years because of other factors such as oil spills, electricity poles and an inconsiderate attitude towards the species.
“We need to work towards creating a bigger space for conservation of birds in Delhi and other parts of the country,” said Dr Faiyaz A Khudsar, scientist incharge of Yamuna Biodiversity Park.
“We must take a calculative approach towards effective planning. We are losing some species, but with corrective measures we can preserve them,” said Dr Vinod Kumar, zoology professor at the Delhi University.
Sitting ducks
* Human encroachment of bird habitat
* Invasions by alien plant and animal species
* Hunting of birds in Russia
* Climate change due to human activities