Madhya Pradesh forest department in India has taken the digital route to protect the critically endangered Lesser Florican birds. It has installed solar powered cameras at Sailana Wildlife Sanctuary to record the round the clock movement of the birds for the next four months.
The first of its kind exercise will help the department to study the breeding behaviour of the bird and prepare a plan for their habitat development.
Lesser Floricans are one of four critically endangered bird species in India and one of the 50 rarest birds of the world. Locally known as Likh and Kharmore, they migrate to Madhya Pradesh every year for breeding. Environmentalists the world over are expressing concerns over the continuous decline in the number of the birds. The number of birds migrating to the state has come down by 26% this season compared to the previous year.
Chief conservator of forest (CCF) P C Dubey said that, “till date, no scientific documentation of breeding behaviour of the birds (has been) done. “It will be the first in-camera study of the birds during which a systematic study of their breeding behaviour including egg laying, hatching, duration for which the hatchlings stay here and the last migratory flight of birds etc.,” he said.
