A Survey on the Endangered Avian Biodiversity at Okhla Bird Sanctuary (OBS) Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

The Okhla Bird Sanctuary (OBS) is approximately  4km2 in area and is to be found at the doorway of  NOIDA (New Okhla Industrial Development  Authority) in Gautam Buddh Nagar district of  Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located at a junction  point where river Yamuna enters in the area of  Uttar Pradesh and departing the Union territory  of Delhi. It is one among 15 bird sanctuaries in  the state Uttar Pradesh. The present survey  report highlights the significant information  about the threatened bird species of the Okhla  bird Sanctuary, Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The Okhla  bird sanctuary is one having marshy wet land  among the 24 bird sanctuaries in the state Uttar  Pradesh. The Sanctuary is declared as reserve  area in 1986 but notified as sanctuary by the state  Government in the year 1990 and now have  attained position in IBAs (Important Bird Areas)  and supposed to one among 466 IBAs in India.  About 302 birds’ species are viewed in this  sanctuary due to the thorny scrub, grassland and  wetland creation because of Okhla barrage and  its unique positioning. Among 302 species about  131 are local, 121 are aquatic, and 50 are winter  visitors. The immense diversity of avifauna  consisting 11 threatened birds, among these 4 are  vulnerable and 7 are critically endangered. The  climatic conditions make the sanctuary a green  wetland; thus has potential to support the  existing avifauna. The efforts aim to maintain  and save the threatened species by the  conservation of microhabitat, nesting behaviour,  resources utilization and prohibition of man made activities by the present survey.