Report on Asian Wetlandbird Census (AWC 2025) of Pakur Forest Division, Jharkhand, India

During the census, a total of 60 Wetlandbird species were recorded, representing 19 families. Of these, 45 species were waterbirds (WB) and 15 species were wetland-dependent birds (WDB). Based on their residential status, 25 species were resident (R), 16 species were resident migrants (RM), and the remaining 19 species were migratory (M). In all, 3,752 individual birds were counted, of which 395 were migratory species. Among the surveyed sites, the highest bird abundance was recorded at Sohubill Pond (Site 3; 1,868 individuals), followed by Durgapur Dam (Site 4; 609 individuals), Niharpara Wetland (Site 2; 505 individuals), and Nasirpur Wetland (Site 1; 309 individuals). In terms of species richness, Niharpara Wetland (Site 2) supported the maximum number of species (38 species), followed by Durgapur Dam (Site 4; 33 species), Nasirpur Wetland (Site 1; 19 species), and Sohubill Pond (Site 3; 5 species). The most abundant species was the Lesser Whistling-Duck (Dendrocygna javanica) with 2,320 individuals, followed by the Red-crested Pochard (Netta rufina; 242), Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica; 235), Asian Openbill (Anastomus oscitans; 107), and Pheasant-tailed Jacana (Hydrophasianus chirurgus; 107). The least represented species were the Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) and the Lesser Adjutant (Leptoptilos javanicus), each with a single sighting. In terms of conservation importance, five threatened species were documented, including three Near Threatened (NT) and two Vulnerable (VU) species, while the remaining species fell under the Least Concern (LC) category as per the IUCN Red List. Additionally, five Schedule-I species were recorded under the Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 2022.