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Warblers and wetlands

The rediscovery in Thailand of a bird believed to be extinct, the large-billed reed warbler, far away from the Sutlej Valley of Himachal Pradesh where it was first found 139 years ago, illustrates the incomplete nature of biodiversity knowledge. Almost a year ago, ornithologist Philip Round of Mahidol University recorded a single individual of the small wetland bird species in the Laem Phak Bia Environmental Research and Development Project area in Thailand. He published his exciting discovery recently after Staffan Bensch of Sweden's Lund University confirmed the bird's identity through DNA analysis. This warbler is genetically distinct from two similar birds, including the familiar Blyth's reed warbler. The rediscovery will set off a race among bird watchers and experts to find the group of large-billed reed warblers of which the Thai specimen is a part. Its range, believed to be somewhere between Thailand and Northwest India, presents an opportunity for Indian ornithologists to collaborate with those abroad and come up with critical data about the bird. Much work needs to be done on its distribution, preferred habitat vegetation, and behaviour. Moreover, the rediscovery of a long-lost bird during a routine study is a pointer to the need for more work in field biology in India. Only last year, nature lovers were elated when painstaking research by a professional astronomer, Ramana Athreya led to the confirmed recording in Arunachal Pradesh of a new babbler species, the Bugun liocichla.

The rediscovery of the warbler underscores the importance of wetlands as a biodiverse habitat. According to a comprehensive study by the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, India lost about 38 per cent of its wetlands during the 1990s. In some districts, the loss is as high as 88 per cent. Wetlands, apart from providing many resources to local communities, act as flood buffers and afford water security. This newspaper has repeatedly editorialised on the need for greater recognition of the role of wetlands and stronger legislative protection. The current revenue classification of many wetlands as wasteland betrays poor understanding of their importance and encourages their use as garbage dumps. Continuous monitoring of wetlands for spatial transformations and changes in water, vegetation, and biodiversity is essential for their long-term viability. Birds are a key marker of wetland health and this habitat is crucial for the survival of many migratory species that come as winter visitors to the sub-continent.

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