Maksam Tayeng

PASIGHAT, Apr 16: A team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune led by Dr Anand Krishnan and Sutirtha Lahiri currently camping at D. Ering Wildlife Sanctuary have started studying the acoustic diversity of rare and threatened birds using long-duration audio recorders. 
Given the difficulty of conducting physical surveys in the habitat, the acoustics method allows a non-invasive monitoring of the important aspects of biodiversity and the team has already managed to sight and record a number of vulnerable birds such as the black breasted parrotbill, marsh babbler, jerdon’s babbler, Indian grassbird and Swamp Prinia. The IISER researchers are optimistic that the method can be used to aid the study of rare and threatened birds that once had a strong presence at the DEWS. “As a sanctuary, DEWS is unmatched and in a country where very little attention is given to grasslands, it is one of the very few ones where wet grasslands interspersed with Siang river are being protected. The grassland is a home to some very rare and threatened birds and perhaps one of the best places in the world to watch them. The best moment of course was the sighting of a critically endangered and rare male Bengal Florican from the rest house inside the Borguli Wildlife Range. This experience would not have been possible without the help of the DFO Wildlife, the Ranger and the forest guards and staff of the sanctuary who went out of their way to assist us in our research work,” the researchers acknowledged.
Meanwhile, a team of researchers from the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) are also camping at the grasslands of the sanctuary to study and monitor the rare birds and Divisional Forest Officer, DEWS Tasang Taga has thanked all of them for their endeavour.
He expressed hope the research outcome will be helpful in proper identification of birds at the sanctuary which in turn will be instrumental in making effective protection strategies. 
IISER, Pune is an autonomous public research university established in 2006 and one of the first to be established along with IISER, Kolkata. 

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
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