Scientists spotted a rare striated grassbird in a wildlife sanctuary in India, the first sighting in over 100 years.
As The Times of India reported, the bird was seen in the Chaprala Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra, well outside its normal range. Experts spotted it during a two-day citizen science survey Nov. 29-30.
Ornithologists Raju Kasambe and Mangesh Balapure observed two birds hiding in the grass near the Pranhita River. It was certainly a rare sight, as only two have been spotted in the region — "one earlier record from Tapi basin in Jalgaon district and a single recent sighting from Chandrapur reported on an online platform."
The latest sighting was the southernmost documentation in India. The last time the striated grassbird spread its wings in this region was 1923, when E.A. D'Abreau, the curator at the Central Museum in Nagpur, noted the bird's presence in the former Central Provinces and Berar.
Other threatened riverine birds were also sighted, including the oriental darter, river lapwing, and black-headed ibis. Over 140 species were documented, such as the pin-striped tit-babbler, orange-breasted green pigeon, forest wagtail, brown hawk owl, and Indian scops owl.
The wildlife sanctuary spans over 50 square miles between two major rivers and supports leopards, tigers, sloth bears, four-horned antelopes, Indian tree-shrews, and large tree squirrels.
This marked the first-ever citizen science bird survey in Chaprala. Officials say more seasonal surveys should be conducted in the future to chart the avifaunal diversity of the relatively remote region.
Trail cameras are another important tool for wildlife authorities to track population health in endangered species and can be powerful for documenting evidence of rehabilitation efforts. Effective management of the environment and wildlife helps ensure those animals' survival and protect our food supply for the future, which are vital actions as populations grow rapidly.
"Congratulations on getting a new record of the bird," one person said on Instagram.
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