India begins national assessment to check extinction risk for over 1,200 bird species

The Indian government has started a national assessment of 1,211 bird species across the country to check their extinction risk using the framework of the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Officials report that a preliminary review of 107 species is already complete out of a targeted group of over 100 birds. This initial work has proposed new status labels for several well-known birds, such as the Great Indian Bustard as critically endangered, the Indian Roller as vulnerable, the Grey Plover as least concern, the Marbled Duck and White-throated Bushchat and Pallas's Fish-Eagle as endangered, and the Sarus Crane as vulnerable.

Timeline And Goals

Officials state that the preliminary assessment should finish by the end of this year, while the final assessment is expected to wrap up by the end of next year. This national effort stems from a larger promise India made at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi. At that event, the country launched its National Red List Roadmap and Vision 2025–2030, aiming to assess over 11,000 species of plants, animals, and fungi by the year 2030.

Collaborative Effort

The Union Environment Ministry is leading this project in partnership with the Botanical Survey of India, the Zoological Survey of India, IUCN India, and the IUCN SSC Center for Species Survival India–Wildlife Trust of India. For the 1,211 regular bird species, including both resident and migratory birds, the work is being carried out by the Zoological Survey of India, the Wildlife Trust of India center, and the State of India's Birds initiative. Vivek Menon, Chair of IUCN SSC, noted that these assessments are key to finding extinction risks and setting conservation priorities. The Wildlife Trust of India pointed out that assessments need data on geographic range, population size, and population trends, which led to the launch of the National Red List Assessment of Birds Forum to bring experts together and fill knowledge gaps. Aparajita Datta, Executive Director of the Nature Conservation Foundation, added that long-term data and citizen science help track population trends for species with limited monitoring.

Context

The International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List, established in 1964, serves as the main global inventory for tracking the extinction risk of plants, animals, and fungi. National assessments like this one help countries gather local data to shape targeted conservation laws and protect vulnerable wildlife habitats.