To catch a falling stork

Guwahati, November 26, 2001: The little town of Nowgaon, 120 km from Guwahati, hosts perhaps the last of the greater adjutant stork nesting sites. The clutch of silk cotton tress, located in this bustling town hold the nests of this brid, now declared as one of the most endagered stork species in the world.

As the wind blows through the silk cotton trees, the nestlings often fall to their death. Often, the chicks that fall down become a meal for the dogs and crows that are waiting to prey on these ill-fated nestlings. Helpless parents perched on the nests above can do a little but to watch in vain as their only chick falls to its death. These parents will have to wait for the next breeding season to add a new member to their colony and that too only if lady luck favours them.

With only two major nesting sites remaining in India for the greater adjutant stork, it has been declared as a "conservation" dependent species. Though the species may not require full-fledged protection thorughout the year like the rhino, providing protection during the nesting season has become very critical.

These feathered giants, known as Hargila in Assamese, used to range widely in northern India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar. But today, the species exists only in six colonies in India around the floodplain of the Brahmaputra River in Assam. Ornithologists have counted 126 nests in the 1990s and non-breeding counts of up to 455 individuals have been recorded. The greater adjutant stork is extinct in Myanmar and Pakistan has only the vagrant variety.

Greater adjutants nest in groups on trees and feed mainly in wetlands, but seasonally move into towns to scavenge around garbage piles. Khutikutiya and North Haiborgaon areas of Nowgaon are two of the world largest breeding colonies of greater adjutants. The nesting season is between September and January, with their nests usually built among the topmost branches. The nests on an average are 3 to 3.5 feet in diameter.

The biggest enemy for the greater adjutants is the strong winds that blow through this region during the nesting season. Dr. Hilol Joyti Singha who studied greater adjutants in Nawgoan says these birds make their nest at a, on an avegare, make their nests at a height of about 15 meters, but it could go as high as 25 meters, depending on the height of the tree. As the nests are located on the top canopy of the trees they are vulnerable to be to blown away by the heavy storm, which are known to occur in the area during the breeding time of these birds. Nests are often blown away along with chicks and eggs. And for such a fragile species, the loss is immense and irreparable. The loss of habitat due to heavy felling of silk cotton tress in this region has reduced the number of nesting sites. What remains is insufficient, leaving nesting pairs and their hatchlings jostling for space.

Prof PC Bhattacharjee, University of Guwahati, says the expansion of Nowgoan and increasing human population are the biggest threat to nesting colonies of the greater adjutant storks in Nagoan. Mr. Goswami, a local volunteer, says that the storks are on the verge of loosing their age-old breeding grounds, as the trees are being felled at a rapid rate.

To protect the nesting birds, especially the chicks, Rapid Action Project along with Prof Bhattacharjee and Aranyak, a local NGO, put into place a plan to save these birds.
The most-effective strategy was to install nets under the trees on which these birds nest. The nets, woven from thick nylon rope, were lined with soft cotton cloth underneath to prevent the chicks from getting entangled in the net. Six nets per tree were put up at each nesting site.

The project was initiated in October 2000 in the two nesting colonies of Khutikhatia and North Haiborgaon. The rescue team comprised of dedicated volunteers headed by WTI's veterinarian, Dr. Bhaskar. The team not only monitored the population, but also undertook post accident medical care and in some cases reared until they were old enough to return to the wild.
A total of 42 nests of greater adjutant storks in 10 silk cotton trees were counted in these two nesting colonies. This accounts for 80 per cent of the breeding population in Assam and more than 50 per cent of the global population of greater adjutant storks.

Over a period of four months, the team rescued 21chicks, of which 15 were put back in their nests and six chicks were hand-reared. In Nowgaon, a total of 19 nests were damaged and 30 adult nesting greater adjutants also suffered injuries from falls.

WTI has under taken to protect the nesting site in the year 2000-01 also. Along with the setting up of protective nests, WTI has been involving the local people to build awareness among the masses. The programme has proved effective in protecting the greater adjutant storks and if more and chicks are saved, the future may be secure for the species.