Rajkot: A project on satellite telemetry from Demoiselle Cranes and Common Cranes was launched on Saturday by the Sasan-Gear Forest Department to understand the pattern of migration, habitat preferences, dispersal, and ecological roasting.
While two species of crane are listed as ‘at least caring’ in the red list of IUCN, they are protected based on Schedule IV of the Law of Wildlife (Protection), 1972.
The project aims to prepare a suggestive action plan for long-term crane conservation in Gujarat.
According to a statement released, the Ministry of Forestry said it had marked the selected birds under this project but before marking, the team conducted a comprehensive, deep survey.
They then captured two birds each of the two species with the help of a skilled and experienced trapper and released him after marking them with GSM-GPS type solar ribbons.
Safety steps taken care of during the entire tag exercise, the department said added that the marked birds will continue to be monitored through the Hi-Tech GIRON monitoring unit in the Sasan-gear division.
“The data generated from this transmitter will act as a baseline in framing conservation strategies for the species mentioned above.
Data can also help understand habitat preferences, ecology and migration patterns from this crane for winter and wedding season,” said Mohan Ram, Deputy Forest conservator, Sasan.
Three of the 15 species of cranes found globally seen in Gujarat.
Although they are under the smallest category, the global population demoiselle crane (anthropoidesvirgo) and common crane (grus grus) are estimated between 2.30,000 – 2.61 million and 4.91,000 – 5,03,000 individuals.