Papers by Sonika Kushwaha
34-35After the three Gyps Species of vultures listed as Critically Endangered, it is now the Red-... more 34-35After the three Gyps Species of vultures listed as Critically Endangered, it is now the Red-headed vulture that has followed the same trend
The Journal of Zoology Studies, Sep 1, 2017
Wetlands play a key role in maintaining the avifauna in any region particularly for the migratory... more Wetlands play a key role in maintaining the avifauna in any region particularly for the migratory water birds. In India wetlands form 4.6% of the geographical area i.e. 15.26 million hectares of the country. The wetlands in the Bundelkhand region serve many avian species for a wide variety of purposes such as nesting, roosting and act as wintering ground. The analysis and documentation of bird species within habitat regions has a number of advantages. The present study is the first attempt to compile a document of familyLaridae in Lalitpur district. All the three gull species (Pallas's Gull, Brown-headed and Black-headed Gulls) reported from the study area are migratory. Lalitpur is known for its water reservoirs as such there is copious population of Gulls. Out of the total 10 sites (Jharar Ghat, Matatila Dam, Shahzad Dam , Sajnam Dam, Jamni Dam, Rohini Dam, Govind Sagar Dam, Rajghat Dam, Deogarh and Saidpur pond), all three gull species were reported from 9 sites except Saidpur pond. The Pallas's Gull was lowest in number in all the sites as compared to Brown-headed and Black-headed Gulls. This indispensable study will prove to be very significant in terms of describing current status, occurrence and threats to Gulls and their habitat and assist in saving both the diversity of Laridae and the wetland habitats that they rely on. In future, if there are changes in gull numbers, they may indicate changes in the food availability, inter-specific interactions or pollution and environmental problems due to anthropogenic activities.
Vulture news, Mar 29, 2018
With the depleting biodiversity every day, birds are becoming the most flanking fauna around huma... more With the depleting biodiversity every day, birds are becoming the most flanking fauna around human beings. For sheer charisma, embellishment, adaptability and accessibility the avifauna is evidently unsurpassable and incomparable. With the ecological services rendered by the bird species particularly in maintaining the healthy environment, it is of utmost importance to learn about them. For that reason, scientific study on bird species and the threats to them was carried out at important reservoirs-Pahuj and Sukwa Dukwa located in Jhansi district from December 2015-December 2022. This was to provide attention-grabbing information on the avian fauna of these reservoirs and to recognize them as an important bird watching sites for the citizens of Jhansi and neighboring areas. Pahuj reservoir built on Pahuj River, also known as Simardha Reservoir is located at 7 km from Jhansi city. The Sukwa Dukwan dam about 40 km from Jhansi is built on river Betwa. The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage named it as the World Heritage Irrigation Structure in 2022. Lines transect and Point count methods were used to carry out birds' survey. Total number of 181 bird species in 47 families was recorded during study including both residential and migratory species. The observations showed that there was a significant relationship between winter temperature and bird species diversity; because as temperature increases, diversity of bird species decreases. The results conclude that birds are good indicators of these two reservoirs and reveal the disturbances caused by human activities. It is therefore recommended that regular monitoring of the sites should be carried out so as to protect the birds and manage the unwanted changes due to human activities.
International Journal of Zoology Studies, Mar 1, 2018
ZOO'S PRINT, Jul 21, 2020
ZOO'S PRINT, Jun 21, 2019
DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals), Oct 1, 2019
The Terai belt of Uttar Pradesh is blessed with a promising population of vultures, the chief obl... more The Terai belt of Uttar Pradesh is blessed with a promising population of vultures, the chief obligate scavengers that have coexisted with humans for centuries. Balrampur district has the residential and migratory vulture population in their protected and unprotected areas. The study was undertaken from December 2016 to May 2019, to understanding how vultures persisted in human-altered landscapes with a focus on management of roosting and feeding sites. The results illustrated the presence of 7 vulture species in the study area that exhibited seasonal variations. The vulture population at roosting sites ranged from 10 to 600 comprising of individuals of Oriental white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Himalayan Griffon (Gyps himalayensis) and 2-3 Cinereous vultures (Aegypius monachus). Being social foragers, vultures were seen feeding in flocks of 15-60 individuals. As per the observations, there was no dearth of carcasses for the scavengers; however, the presence of feral dog population is a key hindrance. The risk to nesting and roosting sites is high due to the uncontrolled collecting of woods for domestic and commercial uses such as in hotel kitchens, brick kilns and at furniture shops. This information will aid to know where and how to focus conservation efforts on a regional and global scale with the involvement of local people.
ZOO'S PRINT, May 21, 2019
With the initiatives of Nature Forever Society, 20 March is celebrated as World Sparrow Day since... more With the initiatives of Nature Forever Society, 20 March is celebrated as World Sparrow Day since 2010. The event aims to raise awareness for conservation of House sparrow. The recent declines in the population of House sparrows is a matter of concern but unlike the big cats and master scavengers, the conservation of these little birds is possible with just our concern and small efforts.
ZOO'S PRINT, Apr 21, 2019
The theme for 2019 was "Wetlands and Climate Change". There is an increase in natural disasters s... more The theme for 2019 was "Wetlands and Climate Change". There is an increase in natural disasters such as storms, floods and droughts due to climate change. The well-managed and healthy wetlands absorb and store the excess rainfall and store it for the dry seasons; thus helping the communities to cope with extreme weathers such as floods as well as droughts.
ZOO'S PRINT, Jan 21, 2019
In order to create awareness amongst the people particularly the students, it is important to org... more In order to create awareness amongst the people particularly the students, it is important to organize events that include field visits. Practical knowledge has much more and long lasting impact on the participants.
ZOO'S PRINT, Dec 21, 2019
ZOO'S PRINT, Feb 21, 2018
The theme for World Wetlands Day for 2 February 2018 was "Wetlands for a sustainable urban future... more The theme for World Wetlands Day for 2 February 2018 was "Wetlands for a sustainable urban future." With the increasing urban sprawl, the city wetlands have been encroached to meet the increasing demand for land.
International journal of life-sciences scientific research, Jul 6, 2017
Butea monosperma is a moderate sized deciduous tree, which is widely distributed throughout India... more Butea monosperma is a moderate sized deciduous tree, which is widely distributed throughout India, Burma and Ceylon, popularly known as 'dhak' or 'palash', commonly known as 'Flame of forest'. Bearing many qualities it is rightly selected as the State Flower of Uttar Pradesh as well as Jharkhand. The study was undertaken during January 2015-2017 in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, India. For this study 15 sites were selected in Jhansi area. Observations were done from 6:00 am to 10:00 am and 3:00 pm to 7 pm. Direct observations were made using Bushnell Falcon 10x50 mm Binocular. The study was supported with photographs taken by 7 D Canon SLR Camera. Observations indicated that the bird species were attracted towards the flowers of Palash. The birds were also used the trees of nesting and roosting. A total of 70 bird species belonging to 27 families were associated with Palash either for feeding, nesting or roosting. The maximum species (12) belonged to the family Corvidae followed by Sturnidae (6), Columbidae (5), Musciapidae (5) and Sylviindae (5). It was concluded that the State flower of Uttar Pradesh is obligatory for the local bird community. Initiatives have been taken to create awareness amongst the local people with the help of press media. The conservation of the existing plant species and the plantation of more trees, particularly in educational institutes are important. Butea monosperma is very dry resistant and helps in controlling soil erosion. Therefore, planting and managing the tree will be beneficial for local farmers also.
... J. Bom. Nat. Hist. Soc., 96 (3):365-378. [11] Prakash, V. (2001). ... Final Report: Vultures ... more ... J. Bom. Nat. Hist. Soc., 96 (3):365-378. [11] Prakash, V. (2001). ... Final Report: Vultures of Yankari Game Reserve, Bauchi, Northern Nigeria, Savanna Conservation. [13] Virani, M., Gilbert, M., Watson, R., Oaks, L., Benson, P., Kham, AA, Baral, HS and Giri, JB (2001). ...
ZOO'S PRINT, Apr 21, 2020
The butterfly diversity of Uttar Pradesh is still unexplored and relatively less studied by the r... more The butterfly diversity of Uttar Pradesh is still unexplored and relatively less studied by the researchers. There are only a few checklists from the state that are deficient to represent the complete order Lepidoptera (Sharma 2007; Kumar 2012). This paper reports the first record of the Vagrant Vagrans egista sinha (Kollar, 1844)
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The Skuas are one of the World’s rare birds. They are very important part of the Iceland biodiver... more The Skuas are one of the World’s rare birds. They are very important part of the Iceland biodiversity and most of the scientists and researchers talk about Penguin but only few people know about Skuas who are the kleptoparasite and they eat eggs of fulmarine petrel and penguin. The topic is taken for the review because these Skuas are very important bird but their identities have remained unclear due to limited studies. The review article reflects the Systematic Position of Skuas as well as the types. The convergence with raptors is also reflected. More research is required, particularly long-term studies, to better understand one of Antarctica’s most enigmatic species of Skuas. From ecological perspective, the links between migration and breeding grounds are of great importance for the better understanding of factors affecting the life cycle of birds
Avifaunal Diversity is one of the most important ecological indicators to evaluate the status of ... more Avifaunal Diversity is one of the most important ecological indicators to evaluate the status of habitats. Birds are the crucial animal group of an ecosystem which maintains a trophic level. Therefore, detail study on avifauna and their ecology is important to protect them. They are one of the biological control tools to control pests in gardens, on farms, and other places. They abet in the pollinization of plants. Birds are also good seed dispersal.The study was performed in Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary (NBS) during January 2013 to March 2014. NBS covers the 224.60 hectare area and provides breeding grounds to multiple populations of flora and fauna. Surveys were carried out seasonally and observations were made along line transects with the aid of 10x50 binoculars and Canon EOS 1000 D SLR camera. The Avifaunal assessment of NBS includes 150 species of birds belonging to 17 orders and 46 families. The order Passeriformes has maximum 51 species of birds. Purple moorhen and lesser whistling duck are the most abundant residential species in the NBS. Habitat wise classification reveals that 43.33% of birds were dependent on aquatic habitat (65) i.e. Moti Jheel in NBS followed by 6.66% waders (10) and 50% terrestrial birds (75) which shows that the NBS is an important abode of many birds. Food preference of birds showed that maximum species were insectivorous (49) followed by omnivorous (28), piscivorous (25), vegetarian (13), carnivorous (9), granivorous (8), frugivorous (5) and others (13).
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Papers by Sonika Kushwaha