18/02/2020 15:40
India's bird population 'going down sharply'
Much of India's bird population has sharply declined in the past few decades, according to a major study.
The State of India's Birds report relied on the observations of more than 15,000 birdwatchers who helped assess the status of 867 birds.
It found the greatest decline in the numbers of eagles, vultures, warblers and migrating shorebirds.
But the population of peafowl, the national bird, has increased significantly.
Hunting and habitat loss are the two main reasons behind the decline. "Collision" with electricity lines, according to the study, is a "prime current threat" to birds.
The report, the first comprehensive study of its kind, made two assessments: the drop in bird population over the last 25 years, and over the last five years.