Pallas fish eagle

06-01-2024

1 min read

Prelims: Environment & Ecology

Overview:

After 10 years, the Pallas fish eagle was sighted in the Chilika during the bird census carried out by the Chilika wildlife division.

About Pallas fish eagle

It is also known as Pallas's sea eagle or band-tailed fish eagle, is a large, brownish sea eagle.
It can be seen near lakes, marshes and large rivers, from lowlands to 5,000 metres of elevation.
It feeds primarily on fish, but many other preys are part of its diet.
It breeds usually near water in a large nest placed in a tall tree.
Distribution: It is found in the east Palearctic in Kazakhstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Mongolia,China, India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
It is partially migratory.
Conservation status
- IUCN Red List: Endangered
Threats: Humans contribute to the decline of this species through habitat degradation, pollution, and draining or overfishing lakes.

Key facts about the Chilika lake

It is a brackish water lake and a shallow lagoon with estuarine character spread across the districts of Puri, Khurda and Ganjam in the state of Odisha.
It is connected to the Bay of Bengal by a wide channel that mostly runs parallel to the Bay separated by a narrow spit.
It is located at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal.
It can be broadly divided into four ecological sectors based on salinity and depth, namely the southern zone, the central zone, the northern zone and the outer channel.
It is the largest wintering ground for migratory waterfowl found anywhere on the Indian sub-continent.
The Nalaban Island within the lake is notified as a Bird Sanctuary under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
In 1981, Chilika Lake was designated the first Indian wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

Q1) What is the aim of the Ramsar convention?

The aim of the Ramsar convention is to develop and maintain an international network of wetlands which are important for the conservation of global biological diversity and for sustaining human life through the maintenance of their ecosystem components, processes and benefits.

Source: Pallas fish eagle sighted in Chilika after 10 years