Sarus Crane

• Uttar Pradesh (U.P.) Forest Department has relocated a sarus crane, U.P.’s State bird, from Mandka village in Amethi to Raebareli’s Samaspur Bird Sanctuary.

About Sarus Crane (Grus Antigone)

• It world’s tallest flying bird.
• The birds are predominantly gray, with long, pale red legs. Their naked head is red, as is their neck.
• The Sarus crane is known for its ability to live in association with humans, inhabiting open, cultivated, well watered plains, marshlands and jheels. These areas suit them well for foraging, roosting and nesting.
• These birds nest on the ground.
• They are found in open wetlands in South Asia, seasonally flooded Dipterocarpus forests in Southeast Asia, and Eucalyptus -dominated woodlands and grasslands in Australia.
• Global Distribution
  • Australia, Cambodia, China, India, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Viet Nam, Bangladesh.
• In the Indian subcontinent, it is found in northern and central India, Terai Nepal and Pakistan.
• It was once a common site in the paddy fields of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Assam.
• Their population is now on the decline in India, a majority of which are in Uttar Pradesh.
• Threats-
  • Loss of habitat, due to drainage of wetlands, agricultural expansion and human development.
  • The use of pesticides, as well as collisions with wires
  • Also commonly targeted by humans hunting and egg collecting.
• Conservation Status
  • They are classified as vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red list of threatened species.
  • Listed in Schedule IV of the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972.

Samaspur Bird Sanctuary

• It is situated in the RohaniyaDevelopment block of the Rae Bareli district.
• It was created in 1987 with the aim of protection and conservation of the wetland with special emphasis to the local and migratory birds, conservation of their natural habitat including aquatic plants and animals.
• More than 250 varieties of birds can be seen here.