Algal blooms a threat to wetland bird sanctuaries of India needs attention

Birds are often referred to as a barometer for the health of our planet.

- Dr Vaithianathan Kannan & Dr Balaji Prasath

They are ecosystem engineers seed dispersers, pollinators and scavengers. Research shows that biodiversity loss is one of the most significant environmental challenges facing the earth today. The evolution of waterbirds is often mainly centred on adaptations to improve feeding techniques. This includes legs adapted to diving or wading, and the webbing between the toes. Many of these adaptations are shared between different types of waterbirds. For example, flamingos and ducks share a similar filter-feeding lifestyle. Water birds are a large and varied group of birds. Most are exclusive to freshwater sources such as rivers, lakes, dams and wetlands.

However, many sea and shore birds can also regularly be found in freshwater, e.g., cormorants and migratory waders. Water birds include ducks, geese and swans (Order Anseriformes); grebes (Order Podicipediformes); pelicans, darters and many cormorants (Order Pelecaniformes); herons, ibises, spoonbills and storks (Order Ciconiiformes); cranes, rails, moorhens and coots (Order Gruiformes); and several waders (Order Charadriiformes) The term aquatic bird is sometimes also used in this context. A related term that has a narrower meaning is waterfowl. Some piscivorous birds of prey, such as ospreys and sea eagles, hunt aquatic prey but do not stay in water for long, live predominantly over dry land, and are not considered water birds. The term waterbird is also used in conservation to refer to any birds that inhabit or depend on bodies of water or wetland areas.