How local villagers, a conservationist, and the forest department turned around the population of an endangered bird in an unlikely area of Bihar
Text by: Asad Rahmani
Photos by: Dhritiman Mukherjee
How local villagers, a conservationist, and the forest department turned around the population of an endangered bird in an unlikely area of Bihar
I received an urgent phone call in 2006 from conservationist Arvind Mishra. He informed me that he had sighted the greater adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius) in Bhagalpur district, Bihar. I was incredulous and mildly annoyed. I was certain that he was mistaken. How could the greater adjutant, otherwise found only in Assam, show up in Bihar?
At about 1.5 metres, the greater adjutant is a big stork. It has a large yellow beak, bald head, and characteristic red gular pouch that hangs along its long neck. It was once one of the most commonly seen stork species in Asia. In the 1980s, I spotted it in Bharatpur or Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan. However, over the last century, its population has drastically fallen. Entire breeding populations have disappeared from most of their range in India. For a long time, Assam was its only stronghold in India. Apart from India, a small breeding population is now only seen in parts of Cambodia. The bird is listed as “Endangered” on IUCN Red List.
When Mishra called me, I thought it could be the lesser adjutant, another stork species that looks similar. However, when he sent me a picture of the bird, I was both surprised and delighted.
I finally managed to visit Bhagalpur in 2010 and was impressed to see what Mishra had achieved in terms of conservation with the help of local villagers. In four years, he had raised awareness among the villagers about the bird and instilled pride in them for having a rare species in their backyard, turning many into the adjutant’s guardians. He also sought help from the forest department and involved local schools in its protection. Thanks to Mishra and the villagers’ efforts, the population of greater adjutants jumped from about 70 in 2006 to over 600 in 2022.
This shows what passion and commitment to a cause can do. In 2010, I advised Mishra to keep records of nest sites, the breeding success of each colony, and the total population of greater adjutants. I also promised to revisit the site soon. I could fulfil my promise only in 2021. I travelled with wildlife photographer Dhritiman Mukherjee, and we spent four days with Mishra and his team, going from village to village, taking down information about the adjutants and talking to locals and students.
Greater adjutants primarily feed around wetlands, where they eat fish, frogs, snakes, and large insects. For this reason, they prefer to live and nest around wetlands. They also feed on carrion and forage in garbage dumps or on carcasses.
The greater adjutant’s main food is fish. Overfishing by human beings in wetlands is one of the causes of the bird’s decline. We saw overfishing everywhere in Bihar, sometimes with a nylon mosquito-net-sized mesh, also known as zero fishing, as even fish eggs are caught in this fine net. It’s a practice that needs to be curbed with better governance as it leaves nothing for birds like the adjutant.
Greater adjutants and painted storks nest in large breeding colonies. However, it is rare to see them share a single tree. The greater adjutant has been known to catch an unwary bird or eat chicks of other birds. However, in Bhagalpur, we saw both species nesting side-by-side, sometimes on the same branch. We observed an uneasy, unusual tolerance between the two storks.
Wherever not hunted or disturbed, the greater adjutant lives close to human habitations. This is the case in Bhagalpur and many parts of Assam. In Bhagalpur, I have seen local villagers take a special interest in their care. I remember Mishra showing me an image of a poor farmer who had bought fish with his own money to feed an injured great adjutant stork. A local school in the area has a nesting tree with over five to six nests that the students and teachers take a personal interest in guarding.
(1) Currently, with a falling population, it is almost impossible to protect the greater adjutant without the support and tolerance of local communities. They nest in the open on tall trees, where they often create a racket and drop smelly guano or poop. Locals in some areas have been known to smoke out such nests. But in Bhagalpur, they are both tolerated and cared for.
(2) The villagers receive encouragement and support from Mishra and the forest department. In order to protect chicks falling out of nests, Mishra (second from left) convinced the forest department and villagers to spread nets under nests.
In Bhagalpur, the greater adjutant is often considered an avatar of Garuda, a Hindu deity from the epic Ramayana. This association with the mythological bird has perhaps encouraged local villagers to invest in its care.
Protecting the nests of the greater adjutants is key to their survival. Though they lay two to four eggs during the breeding season, only two chicks are usually successfully raised. Males and females share the responsibility of raising their young. They take turns incubating the eggs, and when the chicks are born, one parent always stays to guard the nest while the other looks for food. The growing chicks have a huge appetite, so the greater adjutant needs large wetlands, shallow fields, and rivers — with plenty of food.
The forest department has also constructed a large rescue centre cum aviary in Bhagalpur where juveniles that fall from the nests or are injured are given veterinary care and good food. Once they are strong enough to fly and look after themselves, they are released in areas where there are some adjutants. Others with non-repairable injuries are kept in the rescue centre.
The greater adjutant shares its habitat with other wetland birds and storks. The lesser adjutant Leptoptilos javanicus, a vulnerable species, also gets protection in the Bhagalpur area. It is much more widely distributed in India and Southeast Asia. It generally lives alone or in small parties and avoids human habitations. In Assam, I have seen nests on a large tree on Kaziranga road.
In 15 years, Arvind has created such an awakening about the adjutants that villagers are proud to have these massive birds on their house trees, some guano smell notwithstanding. The greater adjutants were surviving mainly due to the protection given by some villagers, but Mishra’s and Forest Department’s support has given them an extra boost.
About the contributors
Dr Asad Rahmani
is an ornithologist and conservationist, former Director of BNHS, and currently the scientific adviser to The Corbett Foundation, and governing council member of Wetlands International, South Asia.
is one of India's most prolific wildlife and conservation photographers. His work has been featured in leading publications. He is also a RoundGlass Ambassador, and an RBS Earth Hero awardee.
