Temporal distribution of Sarus Crane, Grus Antigone (Linnaeus, 1758) in Dhanauri wetland, Uttar Pradesh, India.

Harsh Gulati, Sarita Rana

Abstract


The Sarus Crane (Grus Antigone) is the tallest flying bird. Due to their decreasing population trend, the Sarus crane has been recognized as "vulnerable" in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The present study was undertaken in Dhanauri wetland, Uttar Pradesh to collect information about the distribution of Sarus Crane and proposing steps to protect their habitat through a continuous population census with the aid of residents, farmers, and the state administration. It has found to be an excellent site for conservation, as it is surrounded by paddy fields and somehow not subject to the burden of urbanization. The study area was categorised into three main transects (T1, T2 & T3) depend on the immenseness, abundance, and Sarus inhabiting areas. A total of 332 individuals of Sarus Crane was observed; among them, a maximum number of cranes (152) were recorded in agricultural land (Transect 2), while it was minimum in Transect 1 (58) consisted of the littoral zone. It is, therefore, necessary to protect such wetland habitats, to provide a healthy ecosystem for Sarus Cranes as well as other organisms. Authors suggested conserving this species; the regular monitoring of the bio-parameters and recording the changes if any, should help to maintain the natural vibrancy of the valuable natural assets of wetlands in Uttar Pradesh.

Keywords


Sarus Crane, distribution, conservation, Dhanauri wetland, Uttar Pradesh

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