Two bird sanctuaries of Bihar added to Ramsar list

Posted 07 Jun 2024

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Nagi and Nakti bird sanctuaries, both located in Bihar’s Jamui district, are now recognised under the Ramsar Convention taking total Ramsar sites in India to 82.

Both sanctuaries are man-made reservoirs (Nagi dam and Nakti dam) and feature dry deciduous forests surrounded by hills.
- Although Nagi lies in the Gangetic Plains of India, it has a landscape reminiscent of the Deccan Plateau.
They are also recognised as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.
Major birds’ habitat
- Migratory birds: Bar-headed Goose, Greylag Goose, Northern Pintail, Red-crested Pochard, Steppe Eagle, etc.
- Resident birds: Indian Robin, Ashy-crowned Sparrow-Lark, Asian Koel, Asian Pied Starling, Bank Myna, etc.

Ramsar Convention

An intergovernmental treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources.
Adopted at Ramsar (Irani) in 1971 and came into force in 1975.
India became a party in 1982 (Maximum Ramsar sites are in Tamil Nadu followed by Uttar Pradesh).
‘List of wetlands of international importance’ or the Ramsar List contains wetlands which hold significant value for humanity as a whole.

Ramsar list

Wetlands in the Ramsar list meet at least one of nine criteria as defined under the conventions including supporting vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered species or threatened ecological communities.
Contracting Parties are expected to manage their Ramsar Sites to maintain their ecological character.
Montreux Record include Ramsar sites where changes in ecological character have occurred, are occurring, or are likely to occur as a result of technological developments, pollution or other human interference.
- Loktak (Manipur) and Keoladeo National Park (Rajasthan) of India are included in it.