Abdul Urfi

• Doctor of Philosophy
• University of Delhi

https://bou.org.uk/blog-urfi-painted-stork-nesting-dangerously-low/?fbclid=IwAR3aspZPPfsBNVPhVuS1-9iPcax9bk0RYUfyT-USANIfTFWFRP1iExL6NRg

Given that ecological knowledge of large urban river systems is extremely sparse due to logistics and accessibility an occupancy modeling study was conducted on the resident birds of Delhi. River Yamuna passing through Delhi is a refuge for several resident and migratory species of birds but its water quality has been deteriorating due to ever grow...

In this section of Resonance, we invite readers to pose questions likely to be raised in a classroom situation. We may suggest strategies for dealing with them, or invite responses, or both. “Classroom” is equally a forum for raising broader issues and sharing personal experiences and viewpoints on matters related to teaching and learning science....

Background: Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) exposure may induce an endocrine disruption which may lead to the risk of developing diabetes through alteration and disturbance of glucose metabolism, insulin resistance, and destruction of β-cells. The present study determines the recent trend of OCPs residue in blood samples and their association wit...

Organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) are well known synthetic pesticides widely used in agricultural practices and public health program. Higher toxicity, slow degradation, and bioaccumulation are the significant challenges of OCPs. Due to its uses in agricultural and public health, contamination of drinking water and water table also increases day by...

about stork scientists

Objective In continuation of an earlier study in which we reported the cross-amplification of Wood stork microsatellites on the DNA obtained from molted feathers of Painted stork (Mycteria leucocephala), here we investigated the nature of cross-amplified microsatellites and the effect of non-invasive samples on cross-amplification success. In a lim...

Village ponds and irrigation tanks perform several useful ecological and hydrological functions. They also act as repositories of unique biodiversity. Their role in the conservation of wildlife and birds is highlighted in this chapter. The efforts being made by public-spirited people who have filed public interest litigations (PILs) for the conserv...

India’s rich diversity of water-dependent birds includes more than 200 species of which 37 are listed as threatened. Modern bird conservation science depends upon accurate information on the diet, ecology, and foraging behavior of threatened species, and therefore, it is important to take stock of the research on foraging ecology of these birds. Th...

Heronries, nesting colonies of waterbirds such as darter, cormorant, heron, egret, ibis, spoonbill, pelican and stork (families Anhingidae, Phalacrocoracidae, Ardeidae, Threskiornithidae, Pelecanidae and Ciconiidae, respectively) are closely tied to wetlands since they are the major source of food (fish) for the birds. In this paper we discuss the...

Occupancy modeling, an important tool for conservation monitoring, was employed to assess the occupancy status of resident birds of Delhi and their association with persisting habitats, such as woodland, urban and open areas in an urbanized landscape. In the 240 sampling grids, each of 2.5 × 2.5 km, a total of 115 species were recorded during two a...

Daily survival rate of Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala) nests from four different nesting colonies in northern India (Delhi Zoo, Keoladeo National Park, Chhata and Khanpur) were modeled as a function of multiple covariates. These included nest and colony specific parameters, year, daily maximum and minimum temperatures and sizes of foraging we...

Wetlands are repositories of unique biodiversity. Wetland organisms are well adapted to their habitat, lying at the interface of aquatic and terrestrial environments. In order to understand their adaptations in a better way, it is essential to grasp the basic properties of the medium in which various organisms live. This is attempted here by first...

India has a long coastline with habitats as diverse as mangroves, swamps, coral reefs, open beaches and estuaries that are used by migrating or wintering waders. Ten species of globally threatened or near-threatened species of waders have been recorded from India. Of these, Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa and Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata have...

DNA from molted feathers is being increasingly used for genetic studies on birds. However, the DNA obtained from such non-invasive sources is often not of enough quantity and quality for isolation of new microsatellite markers. The present study examined the potential of shed feathers of near threatened Painted Stork as a source of its DNA for cros...

Although Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala, a colonial nester, has a strong presence in India and Sri Lanka, it is listed as Near Threatened. Documentation and protection of its nesting colonies is thus crucial for its conservation. In northern India a number of its breeding colonies have been reported from the states of Delhi, Uttar Pradesh (par...

Since evolution forms the core of modern biology, teaching about natural selection is extremely important as this equips the student to frame the ‘why’ questions properly and, at the same time, sharpens their understanding about a host of issues pertaining to behaviour, diversity and genetics.

India's burgeoning Indian middle class is getting increasingly involved in nature-related activities. This article examines various activities of birdwatchers, through their writings, to understand how they impinge upon society at large. A feeling of exclusiveness, sense of self-importance and assertiveness seem to follow the growing prosperity of...

The value of foraging studies in developing conservation strategies for storks is important because their breeding is often limited by food distribution. The foraging behavior and trophic specializations of the Painted Stork (Myctena leucocephala), a flagship of wetlands and listed as near threatened, is reviewed here. Trophic adaptations among Myc...

Field ornithology has provided important data about the impacts of climate change on biodiversity. Longterm nesting record-keeping traditions in Europe have played a crucial role in advances in our understanding of these phenomena. In the context of Asia, the seasonal monsoonal rains are the primary drivers of bird nesting and some studies have sou...

This chapter discusses the cultural context of storks as well as people’s perceptions about heronries and storks in general. The White Stork occupies a prominent place in Western culture, often as a symbol of fertility and good omen. In Sanskrit literature of ancient India, there is a mention about several traits of storks such as their dance and c...

This chapter starts by examining the evidence for the suspected decline in Painted Stork populations throughout India, with a focus on some selected nesting colonies. Threat factors, ongoing conservation work, and suggestions for future work, including launching long-term conservation monitoring programs are highlighted in this chapter.

The Painted Stork nests in mixed species colonies, called heronries, all across its range. Although avian coloniality is an active area of research, there is as yet no satisfactory explanation for the evolution of this trait. The first part of this chapter discusses the theoretical framework of avian coloniality while the second part is devoted to...

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) occurs in the vast majority of birds, although explanations for its existence are controversial. This chapter describes the results of a field study undertaken at the Delhi Zoo to establish SSD in the Painted Stork. A novel field study method was used, involving recording of copulating birds and obtaining measurements o...

The Painted Stork mostly feeds by tactolocation and its bill is adapted for this purpose. The possible significance of a slight downward curvature of the bill, foraging behavior, nocturnal foraging, and kleptoparasitism is discussed in this chapter. The foraging habitats of Painted Stork are mostly shallow marshes and wetlands. It also frequents co...

This chapter details the posthatching growth and development patterns of Painted Stork. The nestlings can be characterized as semi-altricial-1, a type of development pattern which is characterized by an overall high growth rate and an uneven pattern of growth of certain body parts. In the Painted Stork while culmen, middle toe, and tarsus grow at a...

The nesting ecology of birds is understood in relation to proximate and ultimate factors. This chapter examines the nesting time of the Painted Stork across India and explores the significance of the monsoon in triggering off its nesting cycle. Also examined in this chapter are courtship patterns of the Painted Stork, nest building­, nesting behavi...

Although urbanization is a frequently cited cause of biodiversity loss (Czech and Krausman 1997) our understanding about urban ecology is severely limited (Marzluff et al. 2001). Birds are popular bio-indicators of environmental change because they are ecologically versatile, their populations as well as select fitness parameters can be convenientl...

Cormorants, described as ‘foot-propelled pursuit divers’, constitute an important component of aquatic food webs and exhibit unique foraging behaviour patterns, which can be properly understood through a comparative study. Since, after a foraging dive they surface to ingest the prey, the intensity of kleptoparasitic attacks on the surface can have...

Sexual size dimorphism (SSD) occurs in the vast majority of birds, although explanations for its existence are controversial. We studied SSD in the Painted Stork (Mycteria leucocephala), a large wading bird, by recording copulating birds on a video camera and obtaining measurements of tibia, tarsus, bill, body length and body depth, on each individ...

The foraging behaviour of painted stork Mycteria leucocephala was studied during 2004–2006 at 14 different sites in the Delhi region, India. Observations were recorded on 131 individuals, including 29 juvenile birds using a video camera. Recordings were also made at the nesting colony in Delhi zoo to study the prey sizes regurgitated to nestlings....

The Use and Abuse of Nature: Incorporating This Fissured Land: An Ecological History of India and Ecology and Equity. By GadgilMadhav and GuhaRamachandra. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2000. xv, 487 pp. $39.95 (cloth). - Volume 63 Issue 1 - Abdul Jamil Urfi

On the Banks of the Gangā: When Wastewater Meets a Sacred River. By AlleyKelly D.. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2002. xiii, 296 pp. $65.00 (cloth); $29.95 (paper). - Volume 63 Issue 1 - Abdul Jamil Urfi

The Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala is a prominent species of Indian heronries and wetlands. Given that this stork is listed as Near Threatened (BirdLife International 2001), it is worrying that its nesting ecology, especially the factors affecting nesting success, is poorly understood. While a relationship between rainfall and nesting intensit...

From an histochemical and biochemical study on the fibre differentiation and muscle growth in common carp, Cyprinus carpio Var. communis, growth and development processes have been characterized on the basis of differences in fibre size, fibre number, lipid content, succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) and myofibrillar adenosine triphosphatase (m-ATPase)....

Although the growing trend of urbanization is a cause for concern, few studies have explored its impacts on wildlife populations in India. This study examines changes in wintering waterfowl communities at Okhla Barrage Bird Sanctuary, in India's capital city Delhi, based on field studies conducted during 1989-95 and 2005-06. During the study period...

Counting is central to ecological studies and conservation research in ornithology. This article examines the present status of counting birds for various purposes in India. Though there is general awareness about proper counting techniques, as evidenced by the variety of methods employed by field biologists, reliability estimates are not available...

One of the most fascinating aspects in the life of birds is their breeding phase, which is intimately tied to the distribution and abundance of food resources in their environment. However, food is not evenly distributed in space and time, and this is thought to have been one of the factors affecting the evolution nesting strategies. To understand...

1. Wintering shorebirds are often disturbed by people and raptorial predators, causing them to loose feeding time and making it more difficult for them to meet their high energy demands. Previous work on captive oystercatchers, Haematopus ostralegus, suggests that they may be able to compensate for the lost time by increasing the rate at which they...

The Delhi Zoo has been an important breeding site for Painted Storks (Mycteria leucocephala) for many years. From 1988 to 1992, I made repeated counts of nesting and roosting storks at the Zoo. Maximum yearly estimates ranged from 325 to 550 birds with a range of nest counts from 81 to a peak of 202 in 1988-89. Most nesting occurred in mesquite tre...

Altered workload effects were studied on the pectoral adductor muscle of C. punctata by the method of fin clipping. Histochemical and biochemical results revealed the atrophy of muscle fibres and changes in the activities of SDH and m-ATPase.

Byet Dwarka, a 25 km 2 island in the Gulf of Kutch, India, regularly supports a wintering population of over 30 wader species as well as a wide variety of herons and egrets and other wildlife. A short series of obser-vations of Eurasian Oystercatchers suggest that their intake rates are rather low compared with those recorded in NW Europe; possibly...