Discovery of a Breeding Ground of the Greater Adjutant Leptoptilos Dubius and Their Conservation in the Floodplains of Bihar, India

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by  Arvind Mishra

Journal ofthe Bombay Natural HistorySociety, 106(2), May-Aug 2009 190-197
DISCOVERY OFA BREEDING GROUND OFTHE GREATER ADJUTANT
LEPTOPTILOS DUBIUS AND THEIR CONSERVATION IN THE FLOODPLAINS
OF BIHAR, INDIA
Arvind Mishra1'2andJai Nandan Mandal1
'MandarNatureClub,AnandChikitsalayaRoad, Bhagalpur812002, Bihar,India.
2Email: [email protected]; [email protected]
AnewbreedingpopulationoftheGreaterAdjutanthasbeendiscoveredinBiharintheGangaandKosiriverfloodplains
(diara)in2006-07.EarlieritsbreedingwasreportedonlyfromCambodiaandAssam(India).Thisbreedingpopulation
was foundalmostrestrictedtoasinglecolony intheImportant BirdArea, Kurselarivercourse and floodpain(diara).
First site was atGangadiara (25°15.142' N; 86°48.480' E) in Bhagalpurdistrict, where two nests were located on a
singletreeinOctober2006.Wesurveyedninedistrictsofthestate,mostlynorthtotheGangariveruptotheborderof
Nepal. Sixteen nests were found in Kosi diara on fourtrees by the end ofJanuary 2007, where the GreaterAdjutant
had successfully bred. In 2007-08, ofthe 35 nests recorded on 10 nesting trees, 9 in the Kosi diara and 1 in Ganga
diara 32 nests were successful.
,
Theconservation efforts and surveys continuedfortwosuccessive seasons, i.e., 2006-2007 and2007-2008. In2006-
2007, 25 juveniles and in 2007-2008, 64juveniles fledged from the nests, of which 8 were from Gangadiara, and
56 were from Kosidiara. Globally, the population ofthis rare Stork is declining, whereas in Biharits population has
shown aremarkable increasing trend in recent years.
Key words: GreaterAdjutant, Leptoptilosditbiits, new breeding ground, conservation, increasing population trend
INTRODUCTION
toaccidentalfall,locatingothernestingsitesintheadjoining
area, spreading awareness among the locals and taking
The GreaterAdjutant Leptoptilos dubius is probably advocacymeasuresfortheprotectionofthespeciesandtheir
therarestandmostendangeredstorkintheworld;categorized habitat.
in the Red list ofIUCN (2008) as Endangered. The recent
estimate of its total population is 650-800 individuals Background
(Wetlands International 2006). It was known to breed only Since the beginning of this century, the Greater
in Cambodia and Assam (India). Once abundant in many Adjutantwasbeingregularlyreportedforaginginandaround
Asian countries, till the beginning of twentieth century, it the river course of Ganga in the Bhagalpur district, Bihar.
hasbecome rareorextinct from mostofitspastdistribution Some old records exist from north Bihar, i.e., one in July
range, and is now confined to the Brahmaputra Valley of 1901 fromDarbhanga(Inglis 1904),oneinApril 1988,from
Assam, India (Saikia and Bhattacharjee 1989; Rahmani et Purnea (Rahmani et al. 1990), eight in March 1981, from
al. 1990), with a small breeding population of 100-150 in Kishanganj(N. Krabbepers.comm, in 1985),andsixinApril
Cambodia (Mundkur et al. 1995). The recently discovered 1988, from Kursela (Rahmani etal. 1990). The best survey
population of Greater Adjutant in Bihar has probably not count of 53 individuals of this species was recorded in
beenconsideredwhileestimatingthetotalworldpopulation. VikramshilaGangeticDolphinSanctuary,BhagalpurinMay,
Presently, this endangered species has been placed under 2006 (Choudhary andMishra2006).This was indicative of
scheduleIVofWildlife (Protection)Act, 1972,Amendment a breeding population somewhere nearby. The breeding of
Act, 2006(39 of2006). LesserAdjutantLeptoptilosjavanicus(LA wasalsoreported
)
AfterthediscoveryofafewnestsoftheGreaterAdjutant, forthefirsttimein Biharin 2004(Mishraetal. 2004,2006).
weapproachedtheWildlifeTrustofIndia(WTI)whosupported This was also suggesting the possibility of finding the
us with a Rapid Action Project (RAP) under their Wild Aid breeding ofGreaterAdjutant in this area.
Programfortheprotectionofthe breedingcolony.
The prime objective of ibis project was to provide STUDYAREA
directprotectiontotheGreaterAdjutantfromallydisturbance
in their breeding ground, hunting by Banpar - a nomadic An extensive survey was conducted from mid March
hunting tribe locally known as ‘Gulgulwa’, protection of toendApril2007, intheninenorth-easterndistrictsofBihar,
nestingtrees,reducingthechanceofmortalityofchicksdue namely Bhagalpur, Khagaria, Katihar, Purnea, Madhepura,
,,
DISCOVERY OFA BREEDING GROUND OFTHE GREATER ADJUTANT IN FLOODPLAINSOF BIHAR
Saharsa, Supaul, Arana and Kishanganj in an area between well as for household purposes. The main crops ofthe area
25° 15.141’-26° 31.646’ N and 86° 08.345' -88° 09.165’ E, are maize, wheat, pulses, oil yielding seeds and potato. The
extending up to the border of Nepal in the north and area is affected by flood almost every year. However, the
Bangladesh in the east. landisnoterodedby floodwaterasisthecommoncharacter
Though,themainbreedingcolonyofGreaterAdjutant elsewhere in Hood affected areas, where rivers and water
was found at Kadwa diara Panchayat in the Kosi river channels change their course frequently. The villages are
floodplains,adjacentareaslikeKhairpurPanchayat,Dholbajja devoidofelectricity,telephonelinesandotherbasicfacilities
and Chausa also seemed to be potential breeding sites. and the area is noteasily accessible.
TheGreaterAdjutantwasseen breedingontreesinthe
Gangadiara middle ofthe cultivating fields and also in the courtyard of
InGangadiara thenestsofGreaterAdjutantwerefirst village houses.
,
locatedin2006atNayatolaBasaofMotichaknearSultanganj
METHODOLOGY
inthedistrictofBhagalpur(25° 15.142' N; 86°48.480'E). In
2007, the nestsofGreaterAdjutant were built in Madhopur-
Manharpur villages, about 18 km north-west to Bhagalpur The surveys were accomplished using four wheelers,
(25° 15.765’ N; 86°51.406' E). twowheelersandboats,butattimeswewalkedonfootwhere
These sites are a little away from the road and less approach was inaccessible by any vehicle. The settlements
frequentedbypeople. Butthefarmershavetheirsettlements ofBanpar, a nomadic huntingtribe, were also identified.
for agricultural and dairy purpose here. The area remains Locals were appointed at both Ganga and Kosi diara
inundated during the monsoon but in the remaining months, to observe the birds and report to us. They were provided
themaincropscultivatedaremaize,wheat,pulses,oilyielding mobile phone, binocular, camera and data collection sheets
seeds, and potato. Parthanium hysterophorus and Cannabis to note observations. Safety nets, made ofthick nylon lined
sativa are the major problematic weeds in the cultivating with soft muslinclothwere placedunderafewtreesinitially
fields. Some bamboos and trees, such as Acacia nilotica to protect the hatchlings/chicks/fledglings from casualty in
Bombaxceiba,andFicusreligiosaarefoundscatteredinthe case they fell fromthe nest. Thismeasurehadbeeneffective
crop fields, but there were nobamboos underthe tree where in protectingthechicksofGreaterAdjutant inAssam, where
birds were found breeding. People were found helpful in the fallen chicks were relocated to the nests. In case of
protecting thesebirds. rejection by the parents, the chicks were hand-reared. The
onlyoptionavailablewasthe localvillageveterinarydoctor,
Kosidiara who could provide immediate medical care to the chicks
Accordingtovillagers,theGreaterAdjutanthavebeen duringemergency.Theforestofficialsatlocalandstatelevel,
found breeding in the Kadwa Kosi diara north to the Kosi and zoo authorities at Patna, were contacted to provide the
,
river since the last 10-15 years while some report their transport and medical facilities to the injured birds.
breeding since the last 25 years. They are breeding here in Placingofsafetynetsdidnotprovemuchuseful inthis
different tolas (villages), namely Kasimpur, Ashram tola caseasfallingofnestswasnotcommon,alsoitdidnotprotect
Lakhminia, Khairpur, Pratapnagarin the Bhagalpurdistrict, the falling chicks where bamboo grew under the trees.
and Khalifa tola, in the Madhepura district, at the border of Forcreatingawareness,villagemeetingswerearranged
Bhagalpurdistrict. inthebreedingandforaginggroundsoftheGreaterandLesser
These sites are at an aerial distance of about 23 km adjutants, signage were erected and pamphlets were
north-eastofBhagalpurandabout28km north-eastfromthe distributed. The villagers, local leaders of gram panchayat
Ganga diara breeding sites on the northern-most boundary (village council), teachers, school students, village elders,
ofBhagalpurdistrict at the borderofMadhepura. localpoliticalworkersandpoliceofficerswerealsoinvolved
Theareaisunderagricultureandsomelargetrees,such in the meetings to support the awareness programmes. The
as Ficus religiosa Bombax ceiba. Ficus infectoria. Ficus printandelectronicmediawerecontactedtoaddvaluetoour
,
bengalensis, Syzigium cumini, Gmelina arborea, Dalbergia conservationefforts.Asaconservationmeasure,theadjutants
sisso. Ficus glomerulata. Acacia nilotica, and Terminalia werelinkedwithreligiousbeliefs,epics,spiritandmythology.
arjuna were observed in the area. There are orchards of
Mangifera indica and Litchi chinensis at a few places. The OBSERVATIONS
orchards of Bombax ceiba are grown for commercial
purposes. Bamboo is commonly grown for commercial as During our regular bird watching trips, two pairs of
J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 106 (2), May-Aug 2009 191
)
DISCOVERY OFA BREEDING GROUND OFTHE GREATERADJUTANT IN FLOODPLAINS OF BIHAR
Table 1: Ganga diara(Flood Plains) Site2007-2008
Place Location Tree No. of Nests No. ofChicks/Juvenile
Manharpur- Madhopur(Dist: Bhagalpur) South of Ganga River Peepaltree 4 nests of GAand Chicks/juveniles of
25° 15.765’N and86°51,406’E (Ficusreligiosa ) 3 nests of LAon the GA(3+1+2+2)
sametree
Greater Adjutant were observed building nests on Bombax since July, while the GreaterAdjutant followed a little later.
ceiba in October 2006, in the Ganga diara at Naya tola The GreaterAdjutant generally breeds in colonies. At
,
Motichak in the Bhagalpur district; there were seven nests asiteinGangadiara werecordedfournestsonahugeFicus
,
of LesserAdjutant on the same tree. The Greater Adjutant religiosaalongwiththree nestsoftheLesserAdjutantonthe
had build nests here for the first time, while the Lesser same tree.Altogether, seven nests were found, in addition to
Adjutants are known tobreed since 7-8 years.This isthefirst one incomplete nest on the tree. All the four nests were
reportofGreaterAdjutantnestingoutsideCambodiaandAssam successful and by the end ofthird week ofApril 2008, eight
(India) in 50-60 years. But in January, both the nests were juvenilesfledged.Thisappearstobefirstsuccessfulbreeding
dismantledduetounknownreasons.Onlysomebrokenpieces record ofthe GreaterAdjutant in the Gangadiara.
offreshegg shells were foundunderthetree with some yolk. In December2007, 31 nestswererecorded in the Kosi
Subsequently, ninedistrictsofthe statewereexplored, diara.Threeweredismantledlaterforunknownreasons,and
andanewbreedingcolonyofGreaterAdjutantwasdiscovered out ofremaining 28 nests, 56 chicks fledged.
in the Kosi Kadwa diara with 16 nests recorded by end With furthersupport from the RapidAction Projectof
January 2007 (Table 2). The nests were protected by theWildlifeTrustofIndia,conservationmeasuresweretaken
appointing watchers, placing safety nets underthe trees and from March 2007 to May 2008 to protect these breeding
spreadingawareness.Twenty-fivechicksfledgedsuccessfully birds in both Kosi and Ganga diara. The impact of
fromthe Kosi Kadwadiara by end May 2007. awarenessundertaken in2006-07wasseenin2007-08.From
During 2007-2008, no nest of Greater Adjutant or 32 successful nests, 64 chicks (Table 3) had hatched, but
LesserAdjutant wasbuildat theold site on Bombaxceibaat 61 ultimately survived (Table 4). This when compared to
MotichakinGangadiara.TheyhadvisitedthistreeinAugust 18nestsbuiltin2006-2007, 16weresuccessfuland25juveniles
2007,butdidnotattempttobuildanestasatroopofHanuman were added tothe GreaterAdjutantpopulation in Bihar.
Langurhadstayedonthistreefortwodaysandscaredall the The Greater Adjutant has been reported breeding in
Adjutants. There seemed to be no other disturbance at this Kadwa Kosi diara since the last 10-15 years, but their
breeding site, other than that by Langurs as reported by the population has not increased much during this period. This
local people. was probably due to the number of threats the birds were
In October 2007, Lesser Adjutant were found about facing, and because the locals were not aware about the
one km south-east from the original site, while Greater importance ofthis highly endangered species.
Adjutant had shifted about 6-7 km south-east to Madhopur- Forthelasttwoyears,theGreaterAdjutantsbuildnests
Manharpur villages (Table 1). Both Lesser Adjutant and in the Gangadiara. This is certainly a positive sign forthe
GreaterAdjutant had arrived at this site forthe first time for GreaterAdjutantastheyhaveextendedtheirbreedingrange
breeding.Accordingtothelocals.LesserAdjutanthadarrived toGangadiaraafterestablishingtheircolonyatKosidiara.
Table2: Kosi diara(Flood Plains) Sites2006-2007
Place Trees No. of nests No. ofChicks/Juvenile
Kasimpur Peepal tree (Ficusreligiosa) 6 nestsofGA Chicks/juveniles of
(25°27.366'N, 87°02.656’E) GA-12 (2+2+2+2+2+2)
Ashram tola Pakad (Ficusnitida 7 nests ofGA Chicks/juveniles of
(25°27.687’N, 87°03.472’E) (1 dismantled, 1 abandoned) GA-7+ (1 died) 1+1+2+1+2)
Lakhminia Gambhar(Gmelinaarborea) 1 nestof GA Chicks/juveniles of GA-2
(25°27.755'N, 87°03.698’E)
Lakhminia Peepal tree (Ficusreligiosa) 2 nestofGA Chicks/juveniles of GA-4 (2+2)
(25°27.760’N, 87°03.688’E)
192 J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 106 (2), May-Aug 2009
)
DISCOVERY OF A BREEDING GROUND OF THE GREATERADJUTANT IN FLOODPLAINS OF BIHAR
Table3: The detailsofdifferentsitesof Kosi diara in the2007-08
Place Trees No. of nests No. ofChicks/Juvenile
Kasimpur Peepal tree (Ficusrellglosa) 4 nestsofGA Chicks/juvenilesofGA-8 (3+1+2+2)
(25° 27.366'N, 87°02.656’E)
Kasimpur Kadamb (Anthocephatuscadamba) 1 nestof GA Chicks/juvenilesofGA-2
(25° 27.390’N, 87°02.465’E)
Kasimpur Semul (Bombaxmalabarica) 2 nestsofGAand Chicks/ juvenilesof
(25°27.238’N, 87°02.485’E) 2 nestsof LA GA-2 (1+1)
Ashram tola Pakad (Ficusnitida) 3 nestsofGA Chicks/juvenilesof
(25°27.687’N and 87°03.472’E) (3otherdismantled) GA-8 3+2+2+1 (without nest)
Lakhminia Gambhar (Gmelinaarborea) 1 nestofGA Chicks/juvenilesofGA-2
(25°27.755’N, 87°03.698’E)
Lakhminia Peepal tree (Ficusreligiosa) 11 nestofGA Chicks/juvenilesofGA-23
(25°27.760’ N, 87°03.688’E) (3+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2+2)
Khairpur Peepal tree (Ficusreligiosa) 2 nestofGA Chicks/juvenilesofGA-3 (2+1
(25° 27.819’N, 87°03.312’E)
Khalifa tola Peepaltree (Ficus religiosa) 1 nest of GA Chicks/juvenilesofGA-2
(25°28.481’N, 87°03.162’E)
Pratapnagar Kahwa Terminaliaarjuna) 3 NestsofGA Chicks/juvenilesof GA-6 (2+2+2)
(
(25°26.367’N, 87°03.209’E)
The tree owners were annoyed with the breeding of nesting Lesser Adjutant in the breeding zone of Greater
GreaterAdjutant as they littered the ground and excretedon Adjutant, were some ofthe threats in the breeding ground.
theircattlecausingwounds.Ontheotherhand,childrenwere
seencollectingfishdroppedbythe parentbirdwhilefeeding Threats and efforts in the foraging ground
itsjuveniles. The Greater Adjutant remains at risk in its foraging
ThedetailaccountsofdifferentsitesofGangaandKosi ground, especially when juveniles come to feed. Some
diaras are shown in theTables. instancesoftheirbeingtrappedinthenetsoffishermenhave
also been reported. On one such occasion, onejuvenile was
Threats in the breeding ground beaten to death with a bamboo pole by a fisherman in June
SomemajorthreatstoGreaterAdjutantobservedduring 2007. Probably theyoungbird had gone in search ofan easy
ourstudy wereby Banpar,anomadichuntingtribethatoften catch from the fishing net.
stealeggs,andkillbirdsandtheirchicks.Fellingandchopping A juvenile was caught in a village at Bhawanipur,
the nesting trees, natural disaster like thunder storm, falling Narayanpur while foraging in early May 2008. This was
of nests and chicks, accidental trap ofjuveniles in fishing reported in a leading Hindi newspaper, DainikJagran. The
nets,lackofawarenessamongthepeople,annoyancecaused children were playing with this bird while the villagers
to the villagers by breeding birds by littering the courtyard surrounded it out of curiosity. The area is well-known for
andexcreting on the cattle, disturbance by the tree dwelling bird trading on National Highway 31, especially ducks,
animals,suchasHanumanLangurandincreasingpopulation waders, BankMynaAcridotheresginginianus. This place is
Table4: MortalityofGreaterAdjutant
Nestingtrees Confirmed Mortality Other Mortality Nests Nests Estimated mortality Chicks
Reported Fallen/Destroyed survived byfalling ofnest Survived
2006-2007 5 4 5 3+4* 16 14 25
2007-2008 10 4 9 3 32 5 61
* -these4 nestsweredestroyed bythe locals
J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 106 (2), May-Aug 2009 193
DISCOVERYOF A BREEDING GROUND OFTHE GREATER ADJUTANT IN FLOODPLAINS OF BIHAR
about 16 km north from the Ganga diara breeding site and Population Estimate
about 25 km south-west from the Kosi diara site in aerial Fifty-threeGreaterAdjutantswereseenforaginginthe
distance.With thehelpofpolicemenandapressreporter,the river course of Ganga in May 2006 and 25 individuals had
bird was rescued and released to join its flock again. Two fledged in 2006-07. During monsoon (July to September),
dayslater,ajuvenilewasfounddeadinthecropfieldofGanga suchfloodplainsintheregionaredifficulttoaccess,andthus
diara in the same area. Itseemedtohavedied about 10days we could notmonitorthese birds. It appearsthat there was a
ago and had probably fallen prey to apredator. population of at least 78 individuals of Greater Adjutant
existing in this part of Biharin 2007.
Caringtheinjured chicks/juveniles During the season, 2007-2008, 35 nests were built
InMarch 2007, achick atAshramtolahadfallen from (3 were dismantled) by GreaterAdjutant in Kosi andGanga
the treeon the ground and wasbadly injured in the head and diara.Thisconfirmsthepresenceofatleast70(35 x2)adults.
neck region due to the bamboo spikes. A local veterinary Wefound64juvenilesduringourstudy.Thenumberofadults
doctordressedthewoundswithSavlon,anantisepticsolution. and juveniles totals to 134 individuals. The 25 juveniles
Thechickseemedtobeaboutamontholdandweighedaround fledged last season may not have grown enough to breed.
5.5 kg.At this stage (about 5 weeks) the chickstry toleapin The GreaterandLesseradjutantsbecome sexuallymatureat
the air (Singha et al. 2003) and fall from the nest. It was 3-4 years (Bhattacharjee and Saikia 1996). If we add that
consciousandstandingonitsfeet.Further,thechickhadbeen number, the total estimate suggests about 159 individuals in
injectedwithDexona(asteroid) 1.5ml,Neurobion(Vitamin) the state in 2008. Three died, thus the final estimate is
1.75 ml and Penicillin (antibiotic) 1.25 ml. As no food was 156 individuals of Greater Adjutant in Bihar. This newly
immediately available to feed the chick it was given a little discovered population in Bihar has probably not been
Electral (ORS)powderwhich itregurgitated. Since we were considered while estimating the total global population of
new to the villagers, they were suspicious about ourinterest this species.
in GreaterAdjutant.We thereforedid nottransportthe chick
tothecitywheresomequalifiedveterinarycouldhavetreated Nesting materials
him. We decided to relocate the chick back to the nest from The Greater Adjutant was observed using nesting
which it had fallen. With the help ofa gunny bag folded to materials from the trees of Dalbergia sisso, Bambusa sp.,
half its length, the chick was relocated in its nest, where Acacia nilotica, Pithecellobium dulce. Cannabis sativa,
anotherone wasalreadypresent.All theadultsandjuveniles Solanummelangina,Partheniumhysterophorus Sesbaniasp.,
,
(about 10-12) had left the tree during this process and had Saccarum munja Croton sp.. Ficus religiosa.Bombaxceiba,
,
taken shelter on another tree about half a km away. They Gmelinaarborea.Anthocephalluscadamba,Terminaliaarjuna
returned gradually after about half an hour. Unfortunately, and Ficus infectoria. During 2006-07, Solanum melangina
the next day the chick had fallen again and was found lying twigswerefoundtobe the majorcomponentofthenestsbuilt
dead on the ground. Probably the parents had rejected the onBombaxceibaatNayatola MotichakinGangadiara.Later,
,
injured chick. these nests were dismantled in mid-way probably because it
On another occasion, in the first week ofApril 2008, was weak in nature and could not sustain the weight and
due to a severe thunder storm and rain, twojuveniles were activities ofthe breedingGreaterAdjutant.
seriously injured at Kasimpur. One died immediately while
the othersufferedaleg injury. This injured birdcouldnotbe Food
traced for a couple of days and was later found in a maize FishwasthemainfoodofthebreedingGreaterAdjutants.
field. We took assistance of the Divisional Forest Officer, Theywerealsoobservedeatingsnakes,frogs,bats,crabs,and
ConservatorofForest,ChiefConservatorofForest, and zoo unidentified beetle-like insects. Undigested remains ofthese
authorities at Patnatoprovide bettertreatment and facilities animalswerefoundunderthenestingtrees.Twoheadportions
tothis injuredbird. But, before it couldbe transportedtothe ofthefish Wallagoattuwerefoundlyingunderanestingtree.
zoo, the bird died. Thejuvenile was buried in the soil with Lookingatthesizeofoneoftheheads,itwasapparentthatthe
salt,priortowhichthewifeofalocalvillagerofferedflowers, fish would have weighedaround 2-3 kg. Probablythese large
incense stick aftertaking abath as it is done in the rituals of fishes were carried from adistance ofafew kilometers. Rats
a human death. The people in the area have developed arealsotakenbytheadjutants,especiallywhenploughedfields
religiousregardtotheseAdjutantsasaresultofourcampaign. areirrigated,theratscomeoutoftheirholesandarecaughtby
They believe that these birds called “Garud" are the carriers the GreaterAdjutants. In 2007, a GreaterAdjutant was seen
ofLordVishnu. feedingon adeadcattle in the Kosi river.
194 J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 106 (2), May-Aug 2009
DISCOVERY OFA BREEDING GROUND OFTHE GREATERADJUTANT IN FLOODPLAINS OF BIHAR
Specificobservations increasing.BreedingpopulationofLesserAdjutantsisspread
In Bihar, single-species nesting colonies of Greater over a large area in the state (Mishra et al. 2004; 2006),
Adujtant were found. Only at two sites, the bird was found whereas, Greater Adjutant nesting is almost restricted to a
sharing a tree with the Lesser Adjutant. One was on Ficus pocket. During our survey in 2007, only 23 nests ofLesser
religiosaatGangadiara andotheronBombaxceibaatKosi Adjutants were recorded in Bhagalpur and Madhepura
,
diara both in 2007-08. districts.Butin2008,werecorded55nestsofLesserAdjutant
,
Greater Adujtant have been reported to start nest in the breeding area ofthe GreaterAdjutant.
building activities in September and leave the nesting trees During2006-07,notmorethantwochicksorjuveniles
byApril orearly May.Atsomeplaces, peoplehavereported were seen in any of the nest, whereas in 2007-08, three
the birds on potential nesting trees in August, a peak flood chicks / juveniles were recorded in four nests. Later, in
period. 2008-09, a clutch offourchicks was observed in one ofthe
Batshavebeenobservedasfoodoftheadjutantsduring nests at Kasimpur in Kosi Kadwadiara. In 2007-08, eleven
this study. Interestingly, atAshram tola in Kosi diara about nestswerebuiltonasingleFicusreligiosatreeatLakhminia
,
25batswereobservedclingingtothebranchesofthebreeding from where 23 juveniles had fledged, whereas there were
treebelowthenests,whilethejuvenilesandadultswerepresent. only two nests and fourchicks in 2006-07 on this tree. This
In 2007, thejuveniles left nests by mid-May, whereas ispossiblytheresultofelimination ofsome threatfactors as
in2008,theyfledgedinthethirdweekofApril, i.e.,almosta aresult ofourcampaigns during the last two seasons.
monthearlier.Wedo notknow thereason forthis difference
in the fledging period. Congregation
Breeding storks flockat the beginningofthe breeding
DISCUSSION season(Singhaetal.2003),butherealargeflockof53Greater
Adjutant in fourgroups of 10-15, were observed during the
Thepopulationestimateof2008suggeststhepresence eveninghoursintherivercourseoftheGangabyendMayin
ofatleast 156GreaterAdjutantsinBiharcomparedtoatotal 2006(ChoudharyandMishra2006). It seems thatthe whole
of 78 in 2007. The present Greater Adujtant population in colony of Kadwa Kosi diara had congregated at this place
Bihar is similar to that found in Cambodia. Elsewhere, the justafterthecompletionoftheirbreeding season. This flock
populationofthisspeciesisdeclining(IUCN2008),whereas had both adults andjuveniles. Probably such congregations
in Bihar this bird appears to show an increasing trend. take place both at the beginning and end ofevery breeding
However, we need data of many more years to conclude season.Theseperiodsmaybetheappropriatetimetomonitor
whether this increasing trend is due to better search efforts populationandunderstandcolonialbehaviouroftheadjutants.
and public awareness (hence more reports), or due to real Afterbreeding, all thejuveniles and adults leave their nests
increase in the numbers. and the juveniles still tend to live in association with their
In Assam also, the population of these is probably parents. Therefore, we can see some large flocks.
declining; incidences of falling nests are common
(Bhattacharya pers. comm, in 2003). There may be a Nestsoccupied by otherbird species
possibilitythatthepopulationofGreaterAdjutantisshifting In Kadwa Kosi diara, the Indian Black Ibis Pseudibis
fromAssam to Biharin search ofsuitable places tobreed. If papillosa had occupied the partially destroyed nest of a
so, then why has West Bengal, the state between these two GreaterAdjutantonaFicustreeatKasimpur.AtLokmanpur,
states, not reported any incidences ofbreeding ofthis bird? all the vacated nests of Lesser Adjutants on a Banyan tree
Possibly,thebirdspreferthelargeriverbasinsofGangaand wereoccupiedbytheBlackIbis.Atbothplaceshighmortality
Kosi in Bihar afterthe Brahmaputra river system in Assam, ofBlackIbiswasrecorded;crowswereobservedasthemain
andfindthe next suitable habitatatthe confluence ofGanga predators, whichdestroyed theireggs andchicks.
and Kosi rivers at Kursela. Burhi Gandak river also The Black Kite Milvus migrans govinda was seen
confluences near this breeding zone, where sufficient food usingthevacatednestsofLesserAdjutantandBlack-necked
andsuitablehabitatisavailable.VeryoftenGreaterAdjutants StorkEphippiorhynchusasiaticusinGangadiaraduringour
are seenforaginginthisarea. Breedingisnotbeingreported study. On one occasion, at Motichak in Ganga diara after
,
in West Bengal probably due to hunting pressure or lack of the departure of all Greater and Lesser adjutants, Black-
suitablebreeding habitat. headedIbis Threskiornismelanocephaluswereseen infairly
In Kosi diara in the nesting area of the Greater good numbers on the same tree, but they did not stay for
,
Adjutant, the number of breeding Lesser Adjutant is also long.
J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 106 (2), May-Aug 2009 195
DISCOVERY OFA BREEDING GROUND OFTHE GREATER ADJUTANT IN FLOODPLAINS OF BIHAR
Hurdles and Constraints 8. Rescueandrehabilitationcentresfortheinjuredbirds
The sites could not be monitored from the beginning and chicks should be established at Kosi Kadwa diara and
of the breeding season. Also, the presence of the Greater the district headquarter of Bhagalpur with a provision for a
Adjutant in the statecouldnotbetrackedduringpeakfloods vehicletotransportthe injuredbirds,andaveterinarydoctor
between July-August, due to inaccessibility and lack of trained especially to treatthe birds.
resources. 9. The local veterinary doctors in the Kosi and Ganga
Lack oftreatment facilities for injured birds, bamboo diaras should also be trained to treat the birds.
growth underbreeding trees, and difficult accessibility until 10.Propermonitoringofthepopulationshouldbedone,
January was our major constraint. The Pontoon bridge on especially during theircongregation.
Kosi river is swept away every year during flood and the 11. Efforts should be made to notify this area as a
nullahs (streams) and small rivulets remain full ofwater or CommunityReserveundertheWildlife(Protection)Act, 1972.
mud, because ofwhich the study area remains inaccessible 12. There should be an advocacy to upgrade the status
on a numberofoccasions. of GreaterAdjutant from Schedule IV to Schedule I in the
Lackoffundspreventedextensivesurveysinmanyof Wildlife (Protection)Act, 1972.
the districts where GreaterAdjutants were reported earlier. 13. Plantation of suitable tree species should be
Also,theexistingpopulationofGreaterAdjutantsinthestate encouraged. Care should be taken that that plants identified
couldnotbemonitoredroundtheyear.Generallaw-and-order as nesting material of the bird should not be destroyed or
is also aproblem which prevented surveys in certain areas. thrown faraway from the nesting sites.
14. Advocacy is needed at local and higher levels;
Recommendations concerned government departments should be involved in
1. Sincethemainbreedingcolonyisrestrictedtoavery conservation programmes. Socio-economic development
smallareainKosidiarathereisanimmediateneedtoprotect workshouldbetakenup.OrganisingprogrammeslikeGarud
this breeding population, till a few more colonies are Mela (Adjutant Fair) and Pakshi Mitra (Friends of Birds)
established. Else, a single threat factor may eliminate the awards every year would encourage the locals to conserve
species from the state. the birds.
2.There isaneed foralongtermprojectwork, at least 15. Regularvideo documentation would help to study
five years, to protect this breeding population and to study the behaviourofthe species.
the behaviourofthe two adjutant species.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
3. Regular monitoring, awareness programmes, and
direct protection measures should be taken at both Kosi
and Ganga diaras to help establish these new breeding We are grateful to Dr. Asad R. Rahmani, Director, BNHS,
colonies. Dr. P.C. Bhattarcharya of Guwahati University, Assam,
4.ManybreedingsitesofLesserAdjutants,aVulnerable Dr. Rahul Kaul,Dr. SandipTiwari,Ms. RadhikaBhagatand
species, and a single nesting site of Black-necked Stork, a Mr. Samir Kumar Sinha from Wildlife Trust of India for
Near-Threatened species, have been observed in this IBA. providing valuable guidance and assistance during the
Continuous awareness programmes will help in the project. We acknowledge the support and cooperation of
conservation ofall these stork species. Dr. Tapan Kumar Ghosh, President, Dr. Sunil Agrawal,
5. Special protection measures should be taken at Secretary, Dr. Tapan Kumar Pan, Dr. D.N. Choudhary,
Ashram Tola where regular incidences of falling nests and Mr. Ajay Kumar, Dr. Pramod Kumar Verma and all other
highmortalityofGreaterAdjutantchickshavebeenobserved members of Mandar Nature Club. We are thankful to
during the lasttwo seasons. Mr.ArvindPrakash,whohelpedinthesurveys,thevillagers
6. Attention is required at Lakhminia where nests of ofGangadiaraandKosiKadwadiaraandthemediapeople
thebreedingGreaterAdjutantweredisturbedbychoppingof specially Mr. Anuj Kumar Shivlochan, Sahara Bihar,
trees by the villagers. Md. Imran, IANS, Sri Kamlesh Tripathi, Local Editor,
7. Movement ofBanpar (Gulgulwas), a hunting tribe, Sri DinkarJha, Roop Kumar, Rajesh KumarBharti ofDaily
shouldbeproperlytracked,notonlytoprotectthebirdsfrom newspaper, Dainik Jagran, who played a great role in our
them,butalsoastheymayproveagoodsourceofinformation. awareness and conservation effort.
196 J. Bombay Nat. Hist. Soc., 106 (2), May-Aug 2009
)
DISCOVERY OFA BREEDING GROUND OFTHE GREATER ADJUTANT IN FLOODPLAINS OF BIHAR
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