BUCEROS Vol. 2, No. 3, (1997)RAMSAR SITES

(Contd. from Vol. 2, No. 2)

The two preceding issues ofBuceros had given accounts on five of thepresently six Ramsar Sites of India. This is-sue deals with the last remaining site,Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan. Prior tothe account on Keoladeo National Park, wegive, in brief, the criteria for identifying wet-lands of international importance based onfish fauna, as recommended by the 4th and6th meetings (Montreux, Switzerland, 1990and Brisbane, Australia, 1996) of the Con-ference of Contracting Parties to the Conven-tion on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran 1971). Thefirst three criteria based on i) representativeof unique wetlands, ii) plants and animals,and iii) waterfowl, have been discussed inBuceros, Vol. 2, No. 1.

The specific criteria based on fishfauna to consider a wetland to be interna-tionally important are:

1. It supports a significant proportion of in-digenous fish subspecies, species or fami-lies, life-history stages, species interac-tions and/or populations that are repre-sentative of wetland benefits and/or val-ues and thereby contributes to global bio-logical diversity; or

2. It is an important source of food for fishes,spawning ground, nursery and/or migra-tion path on which fish stocks, either withinthe wetland or elsewhere, depend.

KEOLADEO NATIONAL PARK,BHARATPUR (RAJASTHAN)

Keoladeo National Park (KNP), formerlyknown as the Bharatpur Ghana Bird Sanctu-ary, is one of the most enchanting waterfowlrefuges in the world. The Park is situated onthe extreme western edge of the Gangetic

basin, a kilometre southeast of Bharatpur (27°13’N & 77°32’ E) at an elevation of 174 m abovemsl. The Park was designated as a Ramsar sitein 1981 and is also the only wetland in India tobe designated as a World Heritage site. Thewetland is a mosaic of a) freshwater lakes andassociated marshes (lacustrine) b) freshwaterponds (under 8 ha), marshes, swamps(palustrine), c) water-storage reservoirs, dams,and d) seasonally-flooded grassland, savanna,palm savanna. (Directory of Indian Wetlands1993, WWF-India & AWB). The habitat andwildlife of KNP is well documented, mainlyfrom a decade long study (1980-1990) by theBombay Natural History Society, and much ofthe information given in this write-up is basedon this work. For more information, see Vijayan(1991).

History

The evolution of KNP is an example ofman’s ingenuity in modifying a natural ecosys-tem for his own gain, which has in due coursebenefited not only man himself, but also thewildlife of the surrounding areas. The use ofartificial flooding in a natural depression, by im-pounding and controlling water levels, was theturning point in the emergence of the present dayKNP. The main objective of the Maharaja ofBharatpur, some 250 years ago, was to create arefuge for game hunting, protection of the ‘sa-cred’ cow from hostile farmers, provision ofgrazing land for buffaloes and for protecting thetown from deluges, which occurred frequentlyin those days. During the early years, KNP hadthe reputation of being a winter resort of wild-fowl and a duck-shooting jheel.

After independence, the refuge wasthreatened by the demand to convert it into agri-cultural land. However, the Bombay NaturalHistory Society (BNHS), through the efforts ofDr. Salim Ali, managed to impress upon the con-cerned authorities the need for declaring the ref-uge as a bird sanctuary, which was achieved in1956. Subsequently, it was raised to the statusof a National Park in 1980, which resulted(among other developments), in the stoppage of

BUCEROS Vol. 2, No. 3, (1997)

grazing by livestock in the Park (see box). ThePark’s designation as a Ramsar Site (1981) and aWorld Heritage Site (1985) have given it the in-ternational recognition that it deserves.

Keoladeo National Park & Buffaloes

Buffaloes (and other livestock) wereearlier an integral part of KNP. One of thepurposes of setting up the refuge by the Ma-haraja of Bharatpur was to protect the ‘sa-cred cow’ by the creation of grazing lands- otherwise the animals would stray intocrop fields and earn the ire of farmers.

However, after the upgradation of theSanctuary into a National Park, grazing wasstopped in 1982 after demands from con-servationists. This step affected about 7000heads of buffaloes and cows. Since the ban,feral cattle (a few hundred) account for themajor part of the total herbivores of thePark, besides other wildlife like Nilgai,Sambhar and Cheetal.

The removal of the primary consumer (buf-faloes) from the wetland system was notwithout its impacts. One of these was thesubsequent excessive growth of a perennialgrass, Paspalum distichum, which causedseveral changes in the aquatic habitat, af-fecting many bird species. Experimentswere conducted to control the overabun-dance of this grass by methods such as bull-dozing, controlled burning, harvesting etc.,but the problem still persists. The solutionnow suggested by scientists is controlledgrazing by buffaloes, which is not withoutcontroversy, can create management prob-lems, and has legal ramifications.

General description of KNP

The total area of the Park is 29 km2. Theterrain is flat with a gentle slope towards thecentre forming a depression, which forms themain submersible area (c. 8.5 km2 - now reducedto 7.5 km2 according to a study) of the Park.This submersible area has been divided intovarious unequal compartments by means ofdykes. Thick alluvium dominates the area.Patches of saline soil are common in terrestrialareas. The boundary of the Park is demarcatedby a masonry wall and the Park is surroundedby about 18 villages.

The main source of water to the Park isthe Ajan Bund reservoir, which receives waterfrom the rivers Banganga and Gambhir. Sev-eral earthen bunds and sluice gates help to con-tain and regulate the water levels in the Park.The water gradually dries up during May-June,leaving only small pools in the deeper areas.

The climate of the area is subtropical,characterised by distinct summer, monsoon andwinter seasons. The rainy season is from lateJune till October, averaging 662 mm. Januaryis the coldest month, with mean minimum tem-perature of 6°C. Showers may also occur inwinter. Summer sets in mid March, and maxi-mum temperatures average 45°C (June).

The vegetation of the Park can be di-vided into two major habitats - wetland and ter-restrial. The forest vegetation, a relic of drydeciduous forest, is a mosaic of scrub, grass-land and woodland. It has xerophytic and semi-xerophytic species consisting predominantly ofAcacia nilotica, Prosopis cineraria, Salvadoraoleoides and Capparis decidua communities.Mitragyna parvifolia occurs in patches. Thegrass cover is dominated by Vetiveriazizaniodes, Demostachya bipinnata andCynodon dactylon.

In the wetland area, the grass Paspalumdistichum is dominant and widespread. Sedgessuch as Scirpus tuberosus and Cyperus rotundusoccupy the border areas. The aquatic speciesinclude Nymphaea nouchali, N. stellata,

BUCEROS Vol. 2, No. 3, (1997)

Nelumbium, Lemna, Azolla and Ipomoeaaquatica. Submerged plants such as Hydrilla,Najas, Vallisneria, Ceratophyllum andPotamogeton are also present. The exotic weedEichhornia crassipes is kept under check annu-ally by manual removal.

Wildlife

Birds: Of its wildlife, the Park is best knownfor its birdlife. Ornithologically, the Park is sig-nificant because of its strategic location as a stag-ing ground for migratory waterfowl, its multi-tude of birds, especially during winter, and asthe breeding grounds for many bird species. Itis extremely important as it is the only regularwintering area in India for the endangered Sibe-rian Crane (see box). The major groups of birdsrepresented in the aquatic area, in order of abun-dance, are Anatidae, Rallidae, Phalacrocoracidaeand Ciconiidae.

The Siberian Crane inBharatpur

The Siberian Crane Grusleucogeranus is a highly endangeredcrane of the world. There are threepopulations of this species: the west-ern, presently of 8-14 birds, that win-ters in Iran, the eastern, of about3000 birds that winters in China, andthe central, of 3 birds that winters inIndia. KNP is the only known win-tering ground for the central popula-tion of the Siberian Cranes, which ar-rive in November and leave aroundthe end of February.

The numbers of cranes visiting thePark have shown an alarming declineover the decades. During 1964-65,about 200 birds were recorded atKNP. Population declined with thepassing years: 76 in 1969-70, 61 in1975-76, 33 in 1980-81, 37 in 1985-

86, 10 in 1990-91 and 5 during 1992-93. The birds did not comes toBharatpur during 1993-94 and 1994-95, but were present again during1995-96 (4 birds) and 1996-97 (3birds). Besides the decline in num-bers, the conditions in the Park aresaid to have become unsuitable forthe crane due to the excessive spreadand growth of the grass Paspalumdistichum after the ban on grazing bybuffaloes.

During 1992-93, two SiberianCrane chicks, reared in captivity,were released at Bharatpur. It washoped that these birds would followthe wild Siberian Cranes that comein winter and add to the populationof wild birds. If successful, more andmore birds could be reared for thesame purpose. However, the chicksdid not mix or migrate back with thewild birds and were taken back intocaptivity. During January 1994, fouradditional chicks were released withthe earlier two birds. The experimentended in a failure again, as no wildSiberian Cranes arrived that winterand the released birds either disap-peared or died after some time. Fourmore birds were introduced during1996-97. According to latest reports(August 1997), one of the birds wasfound dead, two others have wan-dered to areas outside the Park, andonly one bird still remains in thePark. Thus, the future of the centralpopulation of the Siberian Crane ap-pears to be again in jeopardy.

Mammals: Five larger herbivores, SambharCervus unicolor, Cheetal Axis axis, NilgaiBoselaphus tragocamelus, Blackbuck Antilope

BUCEROS Vol. 2, No. 3, (1997)cervicapra and Wildboar Sus scrofa, and sixspecies of carnivores, Jackal Canis aureus,Striped Hyaena Hyaena hyaena, Jungle CatFelis chaus, Fishing Cat Felis viverrina, ToddyCat Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, Smooth In-dian Otter Lutra perspicillata and also the largerodent, Porcupine Hystrix indica occur in thePark.

Reptiles & Amphibians: In all, 28 speciesof reptiles including seven species of turtles,eight species of lizards and 13 species of snakeshave been recorded from KNP. Bharatpur iswell known for its pythons, and there are regu-lar areas where they can be seen easily, whichare named Python Points by the Forest Depart-ment. Seven species of amphibians belongingto three families, namely Bufonidae,Microhylidae and Ranidae occur. The Bull-frog Rana tigrina (=Hoplobatrachus tigerinus)and Skipper R. cyanophlyctis Frog(=Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis) are common in thewetland area.

Fish: The fish fauna of the Park consists of43 species belonging to 8 orders, 16 familiesand 31 genera. Of the 43 species, only six spe-cies, Channa punctatus, C. striatus, C.marulinus, Heteropneustes fossilis, Clariasbatrachus and Colisa fasciata are local andbreed inside the Park. The other species enterthe Park largely as fry along with the watersfrom the Ajan bund during the monsoon.

Pollution: The BNHS study found concen-trations of heavy metals such as lead, zinc andcopper in the tissues of fish. Thirteen speciesof dead birds, including seven species of pis-civorous birds, recorded high levels of lead,zinc and copper. Pesticide residues (dieldrin)in the brain tissues of the Sarus Crane Grusantigone, Ring Dove Streptopelia decaocto andBlue Rock Pigeon Columba livia showed ald-rin poisoning. Eggs of eight species of pis-civorous birds showed contamination by orga-nochlorine compounds such as DDT, BHC, en-dosulfan, dieldrin, heptachlor and heptachlorepoxide.

Socio-economics: The economy of the

vilmostly agriculture based, except for those em-ployed in the Park and the nearby factories.Buffaloes are the main source of income for afew families. The major source of fuel is dung-cake, the absence of which leads to the collec-tion of wood and puts a strain on the Park’s eco-system.

Tourism: KNP, due to its vicinity to Delhiand Agra (besides its birdlife), attracts about90,000 visitors each year, and about 30% ofthese are foreigners. Studies had been under-taken by the BNHS to document the impacts oftourism on the Sanctuary and its wildlife, andalso the economic benefits to the locals and tothe Park.

Studies Undertaken at KNP

The Bombay Natural History Societyinitiated a Research Project known as theKeoladeo National Park Ecology Study atBharatpur (1980-1990). The main objective ofthe project was to collect data essential forevolving a comprehensive managementprogramme for the Park. The data presented inthe final report of the decade long study (Vijayan1991) constitutes one of the major contributionsto the understanding of wetland ecology in atropical man-made wetland. It was for the firsttime ever that such a large scale ecosystem levelstudy was attempted in India. Investigationscovered the following multidisciplinary aspectsof the ecosystem: meteorology, primary produc-tivity, vegetation, studies on invertebrates, fish,amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.Heavy metal contamination and pesticide pol-lution to the ecosystem and wildlife was alsostudied. The socio-economics of the surround-ing villages was studied during the tenure ofthe project, which was followed by two otherstudies (Anonymous 1994a, 1994b, 1996 andWWF 1996).

Publications: The KNP is probably the moststudied of all wildlife sanctuaries in India. Manytheses, reports, papers, books and booklets havebeen published on the Sanctuary. Given belowis a selected list of publications that have ema-nated from the Park.

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thon Python molurus and its possible us-age in population estimation. J. Bombaynat. Hist. Soc. 87: 399-404.

Bhupathy, S. & V.S. Vijayan (1989). Preda-tion on the Indian Flapshell (Lissemyspunctata) in Keoladeo National Park,Bharatpur, Rajasthan, pp. 27-33. Proc.National Symposium on AnimalBehaviour (Ed. B.H. Patel). Sir P.P. In-stitute of Science, Bhavnagar.

Bhupathy, S. & V.S. Vijayan (1989). Status, dis-tribution and general ecology of the In-dian Python Python molurus in KeoladeoNational Park, Bharatpur. J. Bombay nat.Hist. Soc. 86(3): 381-387.

Bhupathy S. & V.S Vijayan (1994). Aestiva-tion of turtles in Keoladeo National Park,Bharatpur with special reference toLissemys punctata (Reptilia:Trionychidae). J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc.91(3): 398-402.

Bhupathy, S., V.S. Vijayan & R. Mathur (1993).A study on the wintering ecology of theBarheaded Goose (Anser indicus) inKeoladeo National Park, Bharatpur, In-dia, pp.90. In: Wetland and WaterfowlConservation in South and West Asia(Ed. M. Moser & J. Van Vessem). IWRB& AWB.

Bhushan, B. & R.C. Sharma (1987). Ground wa-ter resources and development potentialof Bharatpur district, Rajasthan. CentralGround Water Board WR, Jaipur.

Bisht, N.S. & K. Gupta (1984). Biotic stressand population distribution of primaryproducers in grassland ecosystem. IndianJ. Ecology 11: 50-56.

Bora, G.K. & V. S. Saxena (1969). Birds ofBharatpur Sanctuary. Indian Forester95: 753.

Breeden, S. & B. Breeden. (1982). The drought

of 1979-1980 at the Keoladeo GhanaSanctuary, Bharatpur, Rajasthan. J.Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 79: 1-37.

Chandra, S. (1986-87). Water balance of a res-ervoir. Report TR. 8. National Instituteof Hydrology, Roorkee, pp. 47.

Daniel, J.C., Y.N. Rao & M. Ajgaonkar (1997).Biodiversity of Keoladeo National Park- A Case Study for Biophysical Evalua-tion. Capacity 21 Project Document.Bombay Natural History Society,Mumbai.

Davis, A. (1966). Keoladeo Ghana. Newsletterfor Birdwatchers. 6(5): 6-7.

Davis, C.B., A. Van Der Valk, D. Mason, B.Middleton & R. Williams (1988). Ecol-ogy of a semi-tropical monsoonal wet-land in India - The Keoladeo Ghana Na-tional Park, Bharatpur, Rajasthan. FinalReport. Iowa State University, Ames,Iowa.

Donahue, J. P. (1962). Are domestic animalsovergrazing the Keoladeo Ghana Sanc-tuary in Rajasthan. J. Bombay nat. Hist.Soc. 59: 645-649.

Donahue, J. P. (1964). A preliminary list of thebirds of Keoladeo Ghana Sanctuary.Newsletter for Birdwatchers 4(2): 7-9.

Drake-Brockman, D.L. (1905). A gazetteer ofEastern Rajputana, comprising the nativestates of Bharatpur, Dholpur and Karauli.Scottish Mission Indust. Co. Ltd, Ajmer.

Ewans, M., T.D. Singh, R. Singh, J.A. HancockAnd Others. (1989) Bharatpur - BirdParadise. Lustre Press, New Delhi.

Futehally, S. (1967). A week in Bharatpur.Newsletter for Birdwatchers 7(11): 7-11.

Futehally, Z. (1972). A visit to Bharatpur. News-

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Theses

Ajithkumar, C.R. (1992). Community and habi-tat segregation of fish in Keoladeo Na-tional Park, Bharatpur. Ph.D. thesis,Kanpur University.

Bhupathy, S. (1985). Ecology of PurpleMoorhen Porphyrio porphyrio duringwinter in Keoladeo National Park,Bharatpur. M.Sc. thesis, BharathidasanUniversity.

Bhupathy, S. (1991). Population and resourceutilization of waterfowl in Keoladeo Na-tional Park, Bharatpur. Ph.D. thesis,Rajasthan University.

George, J.M. (1988). Bioecology and popula-tion dynamics of the beetle Cassidacircumdata Herbst in Keoladeo NationalPark, Bharatpur. Ph.D. thesis, Univer-sity of Agra.

Haque, M.N. (1988). Habitat utilization of wildungulates in Keoladeo National Park,Bharatpur. M.Phil. thesis, AligarhMuslim University.

Haque, M.N. (1990). Study of the ecology ofwild ungulates of Keoladeo NationalPark, Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Ph.D. the-sis, Aligarh Muslim University.

Jayaram, K. (1985). Wintering ecology of theCoot Fulica atra in Keoladeo NationalPark, Bharatpur. M.Sc. thesis,Bharathidasan University.

Maranko, M. (1989). Wintering behaviour ofthe Siberian Crane in Keoladeo NationalPark, Bharatpur during 1988-89.M.Phil. thesis, Bharathidasan Univer-sity.

Middleton, B.A. (1989). Succession and gooseherbivory in monsoonal wetlands of theKeoladeo National Park, Bharatpur,

India. Ph.D thesis, Iowa State Univer-sity.

Muralidharan, S. (1994). Bio-accumulation ofheavy metals in various trophic levels.Ph.D. thesis, Rajasthan University.

Prakash, V. (1988). Status and ecology of theraptors at Keoladeo National Park,Bharatpur. Ph.D. thesis, Universityof Bombay.

Ramachandran, N.K. (1993). Ecology of thePheasant-tailed and Bronze-winged Ja-canas in Keoladeo National Park,Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Ph.D. thesis, Uni-versity of Bombay.

Sauey, R.T. (1985). The range, status and win-tering ecology of the Siberian CraneGrus leucogeranus. Ph.D. thesis,Cornell University.

Sivasubramanian, C. (1992). Ecology of the fisheating birds of Keoladeo National Park.Ph.D. thesis. Saurashtra University.

Sridharan, U. (1989). Ecology of the residentducks of Keoladeo National Park,Bharatpur. Ph.D. thesis, University ofBombay.

Sundaramoorthy, T. (1991). Ecology of ter-restrial birds in Keoladeo National Park,Bharatpur. Ph.D. thesis, University ofBombay.

Papers, Books and Booklets

Abdulali, H. & J.D. Pandey (1978). Checklistof the Birds of Delhi, Agra andBharatpur. Published by the first author.

Ajithkumar, C.R. (1990). The fish communityof Keoladeo National Park, Bharatpur,Rajasthan, India, pp. 385-388. Proc.2nd Asian Fisheries Forum, Tokyo,Japan, April 1989. (Ed. R. Hirano & I.Hanyu). The Asian Fisheries Society,

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letter for Birdwatchers 12(2): 7-8.

George, J.M. & K. Venkataraman (1987). Oc-currence and life history of Cassidacircumdata Herbst (Coleoptera:Chrysomelidae) in Keoladeo NationalPark, Bharatpur, India. J. Bombay nat.Hist. Soc. 84: 248-253.

Ghosh, S.N. (1978). Arthropod-borne virus ac-tivity in migratory birds, Ghana Bird Sanc-tuary, Rajasthan State. Indian J. Med. Res.67: 192-196.

Gole, P. (1987). Observing the Sarus,pp.107-114. Proc. 1983 InternationalCrane Workshop (Ed. G.W. Archibald &R.F. Pasquier). International Crane Foun-dation, Wisconsin.

Grubh, R. B. (1969). Ghana Bird Sanctuary inJanuary 1969. Newsletter forBirdwatchers 9(3): 1-2.

Haque, M.N. (1988). Food habits of Smooth In-dian Otter Lutra perspicillata in KeoladeoNational Park, Bharatpur. Proc. Interna-tional Symposium on Asian Otters, Ban-galore. IUCN.

Haque, M.N. (1988). Some observations on foodhabits of Jackal Canis aureus in KeoladeoNational Park, Bharatpur as shown by scatanalysis. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 85:185-186.

Haque, M.N. (1992). Some notes on the food hab-its of Nilgai in Keoladeo National Park,Bharatpur. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 89:115.

Higuchi, H., M. Nagendran, A.G. Sorokin & M.Ueta (1994). Satellite tracking of Com-mon Cranes Grus grus migrating northfrom Keoladeo National Park, India, 26-31. In: The Future of Cranes and Wet-lands (Eds. H. Higuchi & J. Minton), WildBird Society of Japan, Tokyo, Japan.

Hussain, S.A. (1992). Bird Migration Project.Executive Summary of the Final Report:1987-1992. Bombay Natural HistorySociety, Bombay.

Mahajan, C.L. (1980). Effect of human activi-ties on the structure and functioning offresh water ecosystems of Ghana BirdSanctuary, Bharatpur, Rajasthan. A pre-liminary report on the Man and Bio-sphere Project. Department of Scienceand Technology, Government of India.

Mahajan, C.L., N.K. Arora, S.D. Sharma & S.P.Sharma (1982). Protozoan fauna of awetland ecosystem (Bharatpur BirdSanctuary) during drought conditions,pp. 131-138. In: Wetlands: Ecologyand Management (Ed. B. Gopal, R.S.Turner, R.G. Wetzel & D.F. Whigham).International Scientific Publishers andNational Institute of Ecology, Jaipur.

Mahajan, C.L., S.D. Sharma, S.P. Sharma &N.K. Arora (1982). Benthic fauna in awetland ecosystem (Ghana Bird Sanc-tuary, Bharatpur) during drought con-ditions, pp. 145-148. In: Wetlands:Ecology and Management (Ed. B.Gopal, R.S. Turner, R.G. Wetzel & D.F.Whigham). International Scientific Pub-lishers and National Institute of Ecol-ogy, Jaipur.

Mahajan, C.L., S.P. Sharma, S.D. Sharma &N.K. Arora (1982). Changes in zoop-lankton populations in a wetland eco-system due to drought, pp. 139-143. In:Wetlands: Ecology And Management(Ed. B. Gopal, R.S. Turner, R.G. Wetzel& D.F. Whigham). International Scien-tific Publishers and National Institute ofEcology, Jaipur.

Mathur, K.B.L. & V.S. Saxena (1968). Work-ing plan of Bharatpur Forest Division.Forest Department, Jaipur, Rajasthan.

Mehta, M. & C. Satyanarayana (1979). A note

BUCEROS Vol. 2, No. 3, (1997)Manila, Philippines.

Ajithkumar, C.R. & V.S. Vijayan (1988). Onthe fish fauna of Keoladeo National Park,Bharatpur, Rajasthan. J. Bombay nat.Hist. Soc. 85: 44-49.

Ajithkumar, C.R. & D.D. Mittal (1993). Habitatpreference of fishes in wetlands in rela-tion to aquatic vegetation and water chem-istry. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 90(2):181-192.

Ajithkumar, C.R., V.K. Ramachandran & ArunAsthana (1995). Composition, abundanceand distribution of fish in Banganga-Gambhirriver system and source of fish to theKeoladeo National Park, Bharatpur. J. Bombaynat. Hist. Soc. 92(1): 30-39.Ali, S. (1927). The Mughal Emperors of India as

Naturalists and Sportsmen. J. Bombaynat. Hist. Soc. 32: 264-273.

Ali, S. (1952). The Keoladeo Ghana of BharatpurRajasthan. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 51:531-536.

Ali, S. & S.A. Hussain (1982). Studies on themovement and population structure ofIndian avifauna. Annual Report I:1980-81. Bombay Natural History Soci-ety, Bombay.

Ali S. & V.S. Vijayan (1985). Recommendationsfor management of Keoladeo NationalPark. Bombay Natural History Society,Bombay.

Ali S. & V.S. Vijayan (1986). Keoladeo NationalPark: Ecology Study. Summary Report:1980-1985. Bombay Natural History So-ciety, Bombay.

Anonymous (1977). Siberian Cranes Arrive atBharatpur. Tigerpaper 4(2): 11.

Anonymous (1990). A Directory of Wetlands inIndia. Ministry of Environment & For-ests, Government of India.

Anonymous (1994a). Conservation EducationProject: Baseline Survey Report: Au-gust 1994. Bombay Natural History So-ciety, Bombay.

Anonymous (1994b). Conservation EducationProject: Community Conservation. Re-port on Experimental Phase: March1994-September 1994. Bombay Natu-ral History Society, Bombay.

Anonymous (1996). Community and Change.Report on Evaluation Survey: June1996. Bombay Natural History Soci-ety, Mumbai.

Archibald, G.W., Y. Shigata, K. Matsumoto &K. Momose (1981). Endangered Cranes.In: Crane Research Around the World(Eds. J.C. Lewis & H. Masatomi). In-ternational Crane Foundation, Wiscon-sin, U.S.A.

Archibald, G. & S. Landfried (1993). Conser-vation measures for the Siberian Crane,pp: 85-87. In: Wetland and WaterfowlConservation in South and West Asia(Ed. M. Moser & J. Van Vessem).IWRB & AWB.

Armantrout, Neil & V.S. Vijayan. (1989). Ecol-ogy of an Indian artificial wetland, pp.911-914. (Ed. R. Hirano & I. Hanyu),The Asian Fisheries Society, Manila,Philippines.

Azeez, P.A., N.K. Ramachandran & V.S.Vijayan (1992). The socio-economics ofthe villages around Keoladeo NationalPark Bharatpur, Rajasthan, India. In-tern. J. Ecol. 18: 1-15.

Bhatt, K. & B.C. Choudhary (1993). The dielactivity pattern of Indian Python (Pythonmolurus Linn.) at Keoladeo NationalPark Bharatpur, Rajasthan. J. Bombaynat. Hist. Soc. 90: 394-402.

Bhupathy, S. (1990). Blotch structure in indi-vidual identification of the Indian Py-

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on water supply to Ghana Bird Sanctu-ary, district Bharatpur, Rajasthan. Cen-tral Ground Water Board WR. Jaipur.

Middleton, B.A. (1988). Food habits of wildgeese in India. J. Ecol. Soc. 1: 37-45.

Middleton, B.A. (1990) Effect of water depth andclipping frequency in the growth and sur-vival of four wetland plant species.Aquatic Botany 37: 189-196.

Middleton, B.A. (1992). Habitat and food pref-erences of Greylag and Barheaded Geesewintering in the Keoladeo NationalPark, India. J. Trop. Ecol. 8: 181-193.

Middleton, B.A. & A.G. Van der Valk (1987).The food habits of Greylag andBarheaded Geese in Keoladeo NationalPark. Wildfowl 38: 94-102.

Moona, J.C. (1963). Notes on fish fromBharatpur district, Rajasthan. Recordsof the Indian Museum 58(2): 59-66.New Delhi.

Murphy, P.G. (1975) Net primary productivityin tropical terrestrial ecosystems, pp.217-231. In: Primary Productivity Of TheBiosphere (Ed. H. Leith & R.H.Whitaker). Springer Verlag, New York.

Nagendran, M., H. Higuchi & A. G. Sorokin(1994). A harnessing technique to de-ploy transmitters on cranes, pp. 57-60.In: The Future of Cranes and Wetlands(Eds. H. Higuchi & J. Minton), Wild BirdSociety of Japan, Tokyo, Japan.

Naoroji, R. (1990). Predation by Aquila Eagleson nestling storks and herons in KeoladeoNational Park, Bharatpur. J. Bombay nat.Hist. Soc. 87(1): 37-46.

Pandey, R. (1970). Bharatpur upto 1826 (A so-cial and political history of Jats). RamaPublishing House, Jaipur.

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ERS, NEWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

∗ Salim Ali International Award for Natureand Nature Conservation: Mr. ZafarFutehally is the first recipient of the Salim AliInternational Award for Nature Conservation,which was awarded to him in November 1996.He is the founder and editor of the Newsletterfor Birdwatchers. He had also served as theHonorary Secretary of the BNHS between1963 and 1974.

∗ Bird Link Society (BLS): A Society, withobjectives similar to the Tiger Link, the BirdLink Society (BLS) was formed by BikramGrewal in January 1997. Its objectives arebroadly to act as a dynamic forum to savebirds and their habitats, assist ecodevelopmentaround bird sanctuaries, research, and to pro-

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mote education and disseminate informationregarding birds and their habitats. For moredetails contact: Bikram Grewal, 101/4,Kaushalya Park, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016.

The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust: The Wild-fowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) became 50years old in November 1996. The WWT wasfounded by the late painter and naturalist SirPeter Scott in November 1946 on the RiverSevern at Slimbridge. His aim was to estab-lish ‘a centre for the scientific study, publicdisplay and conservation of the wildfowl of

the world’. By 1996, the WWT had eight UK-based Centres with work going on to establishanother in the heart of London. The WWThas decided to change with the times, and hasrevised its objectives to ‘WWT - working tosave wetlands for wildlife and people’

∗ National workshop on new economic policy,opportunities and challenges for sustainabledevelopment of fisheries and conservationof aquatic resources, Bhopal, 6-7 Sept 1997.

Organised by the Oriental Research Foundation,E-1/106 Arera colony, Bhopal 462016.

∗ Asian Wetlands Conference: Theme: Wet-lands for Sustainable Development, NewDelhi, India, 29-31 January 1998.

Organised by the Indian Environmental Society(U-112, Vidhata House, Vikas Marg,Shakarpur, New Delhi 110092. E-email:iesenro@del2.vsnl.net.in) jointly with theScience and Environmental Education Society.

The conference will discuss the past, presentand future of wetlands in Asian countries andshall cover a very wide range of topics con-cerned with all kinds of wetlands, their con-servation and management.

∗ World Birdwatch 97: The third World

Birdwatch event to raise awareness of theneed for conservation of birds and their habi-tats will be held on 4-5 October 1997. WorldBirdwatch was earlier conducted in 1993 &1995. Birdlife International is co-ordinatingthe event.

The Bombay Natural History Society is theco-ordinator for the World Birdwatch eventin India. The forms for the event were re-ceived in September and were sent to vari-ous organisations in different states of thecountry.

Groups all over the world will be organisingpublic events centred around birds, anddrawing attention to the threats that birds arefacing. This year over 250 organisations innearly 100 countries have registered for theevent. The event will draw attention to theplight of the 1,111 bird species that are threat-ened with extinction (this is nearly 11% ofthe world’s birds). The focus of the eventwill briefly be:

To highlight the threats facing birds in one’scountry; list out birds that need protection;identify and highlight the local and interna-tional bird groups that work and/or can in-fluence protection to birds and their habitats;and find a way of balancing the needs ofpeople and birds to secure the future of theseglobally threatened birds

For further information contact: KathleenRosewarne, Birdlife International,Wellbrook Court, Girton Road, CambridgeCB3 ONA, U.K.

E-mail: kathleen@birdlife.org.uk.

With Regards

BUCEROS Vol. 2, No. 3, (1997)