Migratory Birds & Wildlife — Set 12

Correct Answer: B. Large concentrations of migratory ducks and geese — it is Jammu and Kashmir's most important wetland for migratory birds

Hokersar Wetland in Srinagar district, Jammu and Kashmir is the most important wetland in the state for migratory birds. Each winter, hundreds of thousands of ducks (Teal, Gadwall, Pintail, Pochard), geese, and waders arrive from Siberia and Central Asia to winter in the wetland. Hokersar is a Ramsar Wetland Site. Unfortunately, encroachment, pollution, and water diversion have degraded the wetland significantly in recent decades, reducing its bird holding capacity.

Correct Answer: B. Southward migration of birds from breeding grounds in northern Asia to Indian wintering areas from August to November

Autumn Migration is the southward movement of birds from their breeding grounds in northern and central Asia, Siberia, and the Himalayan region towards their wintering areas in India and further south from approximately August to November. The timing varies by species: some early migrants (Pied Flycatcher, waders) begin in July-August while others peak in October-November. Autumn migration is generally more leisurely than spring as there is no urgency to claim breeding territories. India's major wetlands begin filling with migratory birds from September onwards.

Correct Answer: B. Siberian Crane (functionally extinct from its Indian wintering population)

The Siberian Crane (Grus leucogeranus) is the most endangered migratory bird in terms of its connection to India. The Central Asian population that historically wintered at Keoladeo Ghana National Park (Bharatpur) is now functionally extinct with no confirmed sightings in recent years. The Western Siberian population is also critically endangered. Only the East Asian population wintering in China's Poyang Lake maintains a viable population. Their decline is attributed to hunting along migration routes and wintering habitat loss.

Correct Answer: B. Drainage destroys critical feeding and roosting habitat, eliminating stopover and wintering sites from the migration network

Wetland drainage for agriculture, urban development, or industrial use destroys critical feeding and roosting habitat, eliminating essential stopover and wintering sites from the migration network that millions of birds depend on. As wetlands drain across Asia, migratory birds face a shrinking network of habitats making migration more difficult and energy-costly. Many Indian wetlands have been encroached and drained in recent decades. The Ramsar Convention specifically addresses wetland drainage by promoting conservation of internationally important wetlands.

Correct Answer: B. One of Asia's largest freshwater lakes, important Ramsar wetland hosting large numbers of migratory waterfowl

Wular Lake in Bandipore district, Jammu and Kashmir is one of Asia's largest freshwater lakes and an important Ramsar Wetland Site. It hosts large numbers of migratory ducks, geese, and other waterbirds during winter, with species like Mallard, Common Pochard, and Tufted Duck gathering in thousands. The lake supports local fishing communities and is culturally important for the Kashmir Valley. Encroachment, pollution from the Jhelum river, and water hyacinth invasion threaten Wular's ecological quality.

Correct Answer: B. Large breeding colony of painted storks, herons, cormorants on river islands — a key bird sanctuary near Mysuru

Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary near Mysuru in Karnataka is famous for its large breeding colonies of Painted Storks, Grey Herons, Open-billed Storks, Spot-billed Pelicans, and River Terns on small rocky islands in the Cauvery river. Thousands of birds breed in the monsoon season. The sanctuary was established in 1940. Dr. Salim Ali was instrumental in getting this area protected. Ranganathittu is also home to marsh crocodiles and smooth Indian otters in the Cauvery river.

Correct Answer: B. Migration of small perching birds (sparrows, warblers, flycatchers) that constitute the majority of migratory bird species and individuals

Passerine Migration refers to the migration of small perching birds (Order Passeriformes), which constitute the largest group of migratory birds both by species count and individual numbers. Warblers, flycatchers, thrushes, and pipits are major passerine migrants that pass through India in millions during spring and autumn. Many migrate nocturnally using stars and magnetic fields for navigation. India's forests, scrublands, and wetland margins serve as critical habitat for fuelling passerine migrants during their stopover in India.

Correct Answer: B. Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) — the BirdLife International partner in India

The Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), as the BirdLife International partner in India, publishes the Important Bird Areas (IBAs) of India report. India has over 450 designated IBAs identified based on criteria for supporting threatened birds, congregatory species, range-restricted species, and biome-restricted species. The IBA programme provides a systematic, globally standardised approach to identifying priority sites for bird conservation. IBA data informs government decisions on protected area designation and biodiversity conservation planning.

Correct Answer: B. Structured citizen observations through platforms like eBird provide massive datasets tracking migration timing, routes, and population trends impossible to gather by professional researchers alone

Citizen Science through platforms like eBird India has transformed bird migration monitoring by mobilising thousands of volunteer birdwatchers to submit structured observations across India. This creates real-time datasets of unprecedented scale and geographic coverage that professional researchers cannot achieve alone. Citizen science data tracks arrival and departure dates of migratory species, documents new migration records, reveals population trends, and identifies important sites. The State of India's Birds report was largely based on eBird citizen science data.

Correct Answer: B. Annual surveys tracking owl populations including migratory owl species that visit India from northern Asia during winter

Several owl species are migratory, moving between breeding areas in northern Asia and wintering grounds including India. The Short-eared Owl is a notable migratory owl that visits India in winter from its northern Asian breeding grounds. Systematic owl surveys help track population status of both resident and migratory species. Owls are important predators in forest and grassland ecosystems and serve as indicators of ecosystem health. Forest owl surveys contribute to broader assessments of migratory species conservation status in India.