KARACHI, Aug 17: The city and its suburbs are rapidly being stripped of the immensely diverse species of birds that once existed in the area, which are being replaced by other — mainly scavenger — avian species. Experts blame the lack of eco-efficiency in urban planning and construction, the use of pesticides, the improper disposal of waste and rising levels of pollution which, they say, have over the years caused a great many bird species to migrate while simultaneously creating conditions favourable for scavenging birds, particularly kites and crows.

The quiet departure of a number of avian species indicates the city’s fast-deteriorating environment, pointed out nature conservationists while speaking to Dawn. “The government must rehabilitate and conserve whatever little biodiversity is left in Karachi and its adjoining areas,” they said, stressing upon the need to undertake a scientific study of the current status of bird diversity in the area. “No such report exists at the moment,” they explained, “and while a checklist was compiled by T.J. Roberts about two decades ago, this too is in need of being updated.” “T.J. Roberts’ checklist on Sindh and Karachi mentions about 200 species of birds, of which about 50 per cent are no longer found in Karachi,” said Jehangir Durrani, the World Wide Fund for Nature-Pakistan’s nature resource management officer at Keenjhar Lake. He pointed out that a number of areas in the city, including Orangi Town, North Nazimabad, New Karachi, Gulshan-i-Iqbal and Manghopir, once had boasted large populations of birds of various sorts.

“Decades ago, different species of forest birds, including falcons, used to inhabit the rocky area that stretches from what is now the Safari Park up to where the airport is now,” he explained. “Quails, black and brown partridges and even the houbara bustard could be seen in New Karachi and adjoining areas in the 1960s. The old Lalu Khet area, with its dense prosopis trees, was an ideal habitat for perching birds while Jheel Park was another location.”

According to Mr Durrani, among the birds still found in Karachi’s suburbs are red-vented bulbuls and white-cheeked bulbuls, common babblers, jungle babblers, hoopoes, Indian tree pies and Indian robins, eastern pied wheat-eaters and red-breasted fly catchers. “But falcon populations have fallen not only in Karachi but across Sindh,” he added.

Referring to the factors that have affected bird populations, the senior field officer of the Sindh Wildlife Department (SWD), Rafiq Rajput, pointed out that “the habitat of these birds has shrunk dramatically and has given way to the construction of more roads, homes and buildings, which leads simultaneously to increasing levels of noise, air and water pollution and de-forestation. Climatic changes also followed mass urbanisation and birds lost great swathes of nesting and feeding grounds.”

He added that illegal hunting and netting, the use of pesticides and chemicals and communities’ lack of awareness about nature conservation also contributed to the depletion of bird populations and the migration of avian species.

While unfavourable conditions within the city forced some species to migrate to outer areas of the city, many abandoned even the suburbs. These species include the grey and black partridge, the white-backed vulture, the Egyptian vulture, barn owl and the little spotted owlet.

Near-extinction of vultures

Of birds which have vanished, the most attention was perhaps received by vultures that started dying in huge numbers a few years ago. The deaths were traced to the anti-inflammatory drug Diclofenac, used in human and animal patients. The drug was found to cause kidney failure and eventual death in vultures that consumed the remains of animals whose flesh contained traces of the drug. Mainly as a result of this factor, Pakistan, India and Nepal lost 95 per cent of their vulture populations.

“Now that vultures are almost extinct in Pakistan, we have lost an important link in the food chain,” said Dr A.A. Qureshi, former head of the Karachi Zoological Gardens. “They are markers of healthy bio-diversity in any area, and are amongst the most efficient species of scavengers. Vultures play a vital role in protecting humans from potentially harmful waste.”

According to Syed Ali Ghalib of the Zoological Survey of Pakistan, city birds whose populations have decreased over the years include the ring dove, little brown dove and the rose-ringed parakeet. “The number of rose-ringed parakeets has fallen because of trapping,” he informed Dawn. “About two decades ago, thousands of these birds were smuggled out of the country of which about half usually died.”

KU bird sanctuary

The extensive grounds of Karachi University constitute a bird sanctuary of sorts, as was discovered by Darakshan Abbas, a teacher at Bahria College who is studying for a PhD at KU. “At the university, you can see many birds that are hard to find in other parts of the city,” she commented. “The long list includes Indian robins, little green bee-eaters, kingfishers, blue-cheeked bee-eaters, which are summer visitors, green pigeons, purple sand birds, blue throats, long-tailed bush warblers, silver bills, Sindh sparrows, red-wattled lapwings, black drongos, Indian rollers, little ring doves and brown doves.”

Birds are attracted to the KU grounds by the large open green area and the lack of disturbance, while the establishment of the botanic gardens has added to the university’s bio-diversity, Ms Abbas pointed out.

An accidental finding at KU proved to be the spotted munia, also known as the scaly-breasted munia. According to Ms Abbas, the bird usually lives in Swat, southern Kaghan and the Murree Hills. “Outside the breeding season, the birds disperse to the adjacent Margalla Hills, the Salt Range, Mangla, Kharian, Gujrat, Sialkot and along the River Ravi to Lahore, but they don’t come as far as Karachi,” she said. “It very unusual to observe a flock of 20 or 25 spotted munias at the KU’s zoology department.”

Experts say that the birds that are still found abundantly in Karachi and the surrounding areas include house sparrows, house crows, the common myna, black or pariah kites, blue rock pigeons, Asian common koels, little brown doves, purple sunbirds, tailor birds, bank mynas, ring doves, cattle egrets and Indian pond herons.

“Birds that we find in the city have managed to adapt to changing environmental conditions,” said Dr Najam Khurshid, an expert on wetlands. “That is why we see a crow or myna stalking confidently on the road in the middle of noisy traffic. Plenty of food and shelter is available for birds that can adapt, and by and large there is no threat to their lives. For instance, the numbers of blue rock pigeons have increased because congested living conditions suit them and prevent predators from accessing them.”

Dr Khurshid stressed upon the need for research on urban development and the subsequent potential ecological and societal consequences of declining avian numbers. “Along with determining the status of Karachi’s bird fauna, it would be worth investigating whether any research has been conducted in terms of the impact on our lives of the birds’ departure,” he pointed out.

“Also, we need to find out how animals adapt to changing environments and the extent to which they are affected by stress and pollution. For instance, a study can be carried out in terms of birds living on the busiest roads of the city and those outside the city limits to check the levels of pollution in their bodies.”