Reported by Roopak Goswami
Guwahati: Assam’s Kaziranga Tiger Reserve has been identified as one of India’s most important refuges for birds of prey, with a new survey recording nearly 45% of the country’s raptor species and six of India’s eight stork species within the protected landscape.
The findings, released on World Environment Day, come from a comprehensive stork and raptor survey conducted jointly by the Kaziranga Tiger Reserve authority and research scholars from Assam universities during February–March this year.
The survey documented 30 species of raptors, including vultures, eagles, falcons and owls, along with six species of storks across Kaziranga and adjoining protected areas. In total, researchers recorded 217 individual raptors and 266 individual storks.
Among the notable sightings were globally threatened species such as the Slender-billed Vulture, Red-headed Vulture, Greater Spotted Eagle, Greater Adjutant, Lesser Adjutant and Black-necked Stork.
The survey underscores Kaziranga’s global conservation significance. Of the 112 raptor species recorded in India, nearly 50 have been documented from the Kaziranga landscape.
Likewise, all eight stork species known from India have been recorded from Assam and the Kaziranga ecosystem.
Researchers highlighted the reserve’s importance for the endangered Pallas’s Fish Eagle, one of the world’s rarest fish-eating raptors.
Earlier studies by the Wildlife Institute of India documented 10 active nests in Kaziranga, making it the protected area with the highest known number of breeding sites for the species anywhere in the world.
The survey also noted an extraordinary international connection. A male Pallas’s Fish Eagle tagged in Mongolia in 2020 has returned to Kaziranga every year for breeding, undertaking a remarkable transboundary migration between Central Asia and Assam.
Kaziranga National Park recorded the highest diversity, with 21 raptor species and five stork species.
The adjoining Biswanath Wildlife Division recorded 20 raptor species and six stork species, while the Nagaon Wildlife Division recorded 14 raptor species and five stork species.
Among the storks, the Asian Openbill was the most abundant species, with 92 sightings, while the critically endangered Greater Adjutant was recorded only three times.
The Himalayan Griffon emerged as the most commonly sighted raptor, whereas the Booted Eagle and White-tailed Eagle were each recorded only once.
Officials said the findings will guide future conservation measures, including protection of nesting habitats, mitigation of powerline-related mortality, and continued monitoring of threatened species.
The survey highlights Kaziranga’s growing reputation not only as a stronghold for rhinos and tigers but also as one of South Asia’s most important landscapes for raptors and wetland birds.