As many as 17,000 migratory birds have died in Rajasthan in a span of only a week, as per the Forest Department. The deaths in the region of Sambhar lake are traced to the paralytic illness from Avian Botulism.
Crux of the Matter
The deaths of the migratory birds have been reported in the region surrounding Jaipur, Ajmer, and Nagaur.
Jaipur alone has witnessed 8,500 deaths of the migratory birds. The carcasses of which have been disposed of, said the collector of Jaipur, Jagroop Singh Yadav.
The sudden deaths were first accounted to Avian Flu, but the Bhopal Laboratory’s report suggests that migratory birds have been dying from the illness from Avian Botulism, a serious neuromuscular disease among birds.
Famous migratory birds like Plovers, Avocets, Northern Shoveler, Ruddy Shelduck, et al. have become the victim of this illness.
This incident was preceded by the shocking deaths of 37 demoiselle cranes in the Khinchan region of Jodhpur.
Curiopedia
Migrating birds face many perils as they travel between breeding and wintering grounds each year. Migration is a dangerous part of a bird’s life cycle, with many trade-offs; birds receive benefits from wintering and breeding in better quality habitats, at the price of higher predation risks and greater energy expenditure. Hazards during migration include storms, hunting, collisions with manmade objects such as wind turbines, and starvation. The risk of starvation is increased when stopover sites are lost through climate change or loss of habitat to development or agriculture. Mortality on both breeding and wintering grounds may be increased for similar reasons. Read More
Curated Coverage
Comments