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Regular-article-logo Friday, 04 July 2025

Stork numbers rise after campaign

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OUR SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT Published 01.10.12, 12:00 AM

Sept. 30: A spurt in awareness drives by conservation organisations has led to a substantial rise in the number of greater adjutant storks, popularly called hargillas, in the city.

The greater adjutant stork population was 288 in 2002, 207 in 2003, 233 in 2004, 247 in 2005, 167 in 2006, 118 in 2007, 149 in 2008, 147 in 2009, 113 in 2010 and 127 in 2011.

A census carried out by Early Birds, an NGO, has found 258 greater adjutant storks in the city.

These numbers have given hope to conservationists.

“The population has increased this year mainly because of increased awareness drives by many conservation organisations,” Moloy Baruah, president Early Birds told The Telegraph.

Eleven roosting areas had been covered for the current census. The trend of more and more organisations coming forward to save the hargilla was a good sign, Baruah said.

There are around 900-1,000 greater adjutant storks in the world. More than 750 of them are found in the Brahmaputra Valley.

According to BirdLife International, greater adjutant (Leptoptilus dubius) is considered the most endangered among all 20 species of storks in the world.

Baruah said another reason for the rise in numbers could be the timing of the census.

“The breeding season of the stork starts from October and, hence, the birds do not come to the roosting spots (earlier). Hence, the figures are lower. We will do the census in September from next year,” he said.

The majority of nests are located on the northern bank of the Brahmaputra, particularly in areas like Mandakata, Dadara, Singimari and Suptaguri in North Guwahati.

Purnima Devi Barman of Aaranyak is a conservationist who has been working to save the hargilla. She believes the population of storks is more than the stated figure because people have become more aware.

“In places where I work, like Dadara, the population is more because of increased awareness among people,” she said.

She said people have stopped cutting the trees on which these storks make their nests. “People now really look upon the hargilla with great awe and respect,” she said.

Purnima had prepared posters, in local vernacular languages, to highlight the importance of the bird and appeal for its conservation. These became very popular with the stakeholders and were freely distributed to villagers, students and other groups of the locality. The women of the colony also made a gamosa with a stork motif.

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