Black Kite Populations Are Suffering Declining Trends In Kurukshetra And Likely To Get Further Depleted: An Analysis Of Causes

Abstract

Black Kite Milvus migrans was seen capturing and captivating everything nearby the offal and garbage sites in Kurukshetra environs until recent past. Today it has been observed that between 2000 and 2010, its depletion is speeding fast, although not noticed in the scientific and social world. The skies in late morning hours are empty. Garbage sites demonstrate the absence of criss-crossing flights of this Kite. The popular sites of the roosting in the shape of Peepal Ficus religiosa, Banyan Ficus benghalensis and Mango Mangifera indica trees have been cut down in the first place. In Kurukshetra, the prime reason for the depletion could be attributed to destruction of foraging grounds (Elimination of garbage dumping sites), cutting down of traditional roosting and nesting sites and construction of colonies in the nearby erstwhile agriculture fields. The contiguous agriculture fields are devoid of any traditional trees like Peepal, Mango and hence no roosting and nesting places. The soaring Kites in the high skies in the forenoon and afternoon sessions were more or less absent. So much so that huge Garbage sites at Panipat Railway compound had no Black Kites. Shockingly, it seems that like Vultures, Black Kites are on their way to elimination in Haryana.

Toxicity of different doses of Diclofenac in Black Kites

“…The black kite (Milvus migrans) is an average-sized bird of prey belonging to the family Accipitridae like vultures [5]. These birds are found at the highest level of the food chain and have a widespread presence in Eurasia, Africa, and Australia.…”

Phylogeography and demographic history of the black kite Milvus migrans, a widespread raptor in Eurasia, Australia and Africa

“…The black kite population on the Indian subcontinent faces similar problems, with the govinda population in Kurukshetra, northern India, undergoing a strong decline from 2000, with estimates suggesting a 98% decline in numbers by 2012. The population in Haryana State is also believed to have collapsed over this period due to excessive use of pesticides (Kaushik and Gupta 2014). There are also reports of black kite nesting population declines in other Indian states (Mazumdar et al 2017).…”

A study on the causes for depletion of Kalayat wetland in Haryana province, India and its winter migratory birds’ diversity

“…However, it was eventually discovered that the rural ponds are in extremely bad shape and are fast progressing towards depletion. Extensive work has been done on these very lines in the Department of Zoology, Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra (Gupta et al 2009(Gupta et al , 2010Gupta and Kaushik, 2010a-e;Gupta and Kaushik, 2011a-b;Gupta and Kaushik, 2013a-b;Kaushik and Gupta, 2013;Kaushik and Gupta, 2014). As such, the migratory birds that arrive in Haryana Province in India face a greater risk of depletion in their populations, which in turn, will have devastating effect on their respective populations in their breeding/ home ground.…”